


The Cold, Steel Blue

by lyo24boi



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Blood and Violence, Canon Compliant, Canon Continuation, Explicit Sexual Content, Hurt Liam, M/M, Mental Anguish, Mental Health Issues, Murder Mystery, Original Mythology, Post-Canon, Post-Season/Series 06, Self-Harm, Slow Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-02
Updated: 2018-10-21
Packaged: 2019-01-08 01:27:04
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 24,120
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12244443
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lyo24boi/pseuds/lyo24boi
Summary: Liam returns to Beacon Hills after studying abroad in China, having only one year left. Home for the summer, Mason notices something different about his best friend, and he's not the only one as Corey, Nolan, and Hayden (who's also returned) have noticed it, too.





	1. A Tepid Homecoming

"It's good to be okay," Jeremy said.

"Is it?" Liam replied, leading them towards the Arrivals exit.

"I missed the smell. You don't realize how fresh it is here until you're away."

"Yeah, I guess there is a difference, isn't there?" They walked through the automatic doors and out into the hot sun. "There she is."

"Mrrow!"

"Just a little while longer," Jeremy said to the black cat inside the cage in his hand.

"Liam! My Liam!" Mrs. Geyer yelled by the car, waving at them exuberantly.

"Hey, mom!" Liam called back, the pair making their way to her.

"Oh, my baby, I missed you!" she said, pulling him into a hug. "You look so pale. Are you feeling alright?"

"I'm fine," he tried. "Just happy to be home."

She gave him one final look over before turning to the other boy. "You must be Jeremy."

"Nice to meet you, Mrs. Geyer," he said, letting go of his suitcase and sticking out his free hand.

"I'm a mom; we do hugs," she said before pulling him in. "Alright, let's get you boys out of here." …

"I really appreciate you picking me up," Jeremy said from the back, his arm resting on top of the plastic cat kennel.

"Your mom moved to Beacon Hills, right?" Mrs. Geyer said, eliciting a nod from her guest. "It's no trouble at all." She paused, looking over at Liam who was in a trance looking out the window. "Liam told me about your dad and your grandparents. It breaks my heart. If you need anything…"

"Thanks, Mrs. Geyer."

"Pamela. And please, I hope you'll trouble my kid. I want you to get accustomed to our little town."

"It'll be different from San Diego, I'm sure."

"You grew up there?"

"I did. I think we moved there when I was six. Moved to China when I was 18."

"Where were you born?"

"Seattle. My mom couldn't stand the rain, though."

"My home town," she said, smiling and looking back at him in the rear-view mirror. She looked over at her son again and bunched her lip. "Liam, you need me to pull over?"

"Hm?" the werewolf grunted.

"Are you car sick?"

"No, I'm okay."

She stared at him for a few seconds, pausing her words. She returned her eyes to the road before looking back at Jeremy. She mouthed at him, "Is he okay?"

The older boy nodded, though his expression clearly told her he knew more than he was able to say.

/ | * | * | \

Liam continued his silence on their way home from dropping Jeremy off with his mother. Pamela Geyer continued stealing side glances his way, her worry towards her son growing with each one. They'd been on trips before. Flights out of the country. That behavior...it was obscenely unlike him. When she finally parked the car, Liam's mother pulled out the key and turned to him. "Honey, I love you. I want you to know that. You don't have to talk to me right now, but I am your mother and I can tell when something's wrong. When you're ready, please, come to me. I'll listen to whatever you have to say and we can figure out anything that needs doing or...accepting. And, if you really don't want to tell me, or can't, you can always talk to Mark or we can even work out time for you to see a counselor, again."

"Mom—"

"You're my baby. You always will be. Even though you're 20 years old and travelling the world, you're still my little boy. And I'm here for you, whenever, however. Okay?" Liam looked into his mother's eyes and nodded, quickly looking away as her verge of crying was about to break his own resolve. "Let's get you inside; there's a surprise for you."

"Cake?"

"Maybe," she said with a grin. She opened her car door and Liam nearly jumped out of the vehicle. Collecting his things, his mom led him inside. He left his suitcase at the door, the sound of voices drawing him down the hall into the kitchen.

"Surprise!" a familiar and welcomed woman yelled.

"Aunt Jayna!" Liam yelled, a smile tearing at his lips. She slipped around the corner of the island to meet him with a hug.

"Welcome home, kid," she said. "I wanna' hear all about this trek into the wilderness."

"It was a city," Liam said with a playful frown.

"And yet I remember something about a field trip into the woods."

"Oh, yeah, there was that one time," Liam said, looking away to his stepfather.

"Good to see I was missed, too," Dr. Geyer said with a teasing scowl.

"I missed you, dad," Liam said, breaking from Jayna's personal space to give his stepdad a tight hug.

"You grew. Again," Dr. Geyer remarked.

"And he's been working out I see," Jayna said, looking at Liam's bulging biceps. "You were a scrawny, short little man the last time I saw you."

"A lot's changed," Liam replied, pride fueling his smug expression.

"Bet I can still kick your ass, though," she said, getting into a defensive martial arts stance.

Liam laughed. "Well, we're gonna' eat before you do that," Pamela said, walking into the dining room and retrieving a yellow and chocolate icing cake.

The werewolf's eyes discarded their hollow glaze and immediately lit up. "Homemade?" he said eagerly.

"Would I treat you wrong?" his mother replied.

" _You_ are the greatest," Liam said, immediately shoving next to her as she put the glass container on the counter.

" _You_ are still a garbage disposal," Jayna said, going into the cabinet to get out some plates.

"Have to feed the beasts," he said, flexing his arm.

"Definitely missed you, kid," she said. "So, tell us, how was China?"

/ | * | * | \

"Hey, sorry I'm late," Liam said walking up to a three-top group of tables at _Jonesy's_.

"My man," Mason said, standing and embracing his best friend. "You are a sight for sore eyes."

"He actually just needs you to settle an argument," Corey said, standing and slapping hands with his fellow supernatural.

"What happened?" Liam grumbled, fist-bumping his knuckles with Nolan before sitting next to him and across from Mason.

"If one invaded, who'd be worse? Zerg or Flood?" Mason said.

"Oh, Zerg, without question," Liam answered.

"See," Nolan exclaimed, he and Mason exchanging a challenging look.

"I still don't understand why you wrote off the xenomorphs so fast," Corey muttered.

"Because they don't have interstellar travel," Mason said. "And we haven't seen them infest an entire planet."

"This is what I came home to?" Liam grumbled to Nolan as the couple across from them continued their argument.

"We obviously can't discuss werewolves versus vampires," Nolan whispered with a grin. Liam's eyebrows bounced in agreement, smirking back. "Hey, you okay?" his former co-captain asked, looking directly into his face.

"Yeah, I...it's nothing."

"You sure?"

"Mm," he offered, nodding. He looked around, trying to divert the subject, but quickly noticed empty booths around them. His eyes then followed and saw five waters on the table. "Are we expecting someone else?" the beta asked.

"Uh…" Mason tried.

"It's not Th—"

"Nope, not him," he interrupted abruptly.

"Who…?" Liam started until he spotted her. From around the corner leading from the bathroom was Hayden Romero, making her way towards them.

"Hi," she said, hands going to grip the top bar of the chair next to Mason. Liam looked at her, stunned by her mere presence.

"Liam?" Nolan tried.

"I think he short-circuited," Corey said.

Liam finally blinked and got up. "Excuse me," he said, his head shaking as his brain returned to that moment. He walked away, heading for the entrance. He didn't hear the swear from his best friend, or the scuff of chair legs that followed. His vision had tunneled. His breathing shortened. He was suddenly at his car. He searched frantically through the pockets of his shorts. "Fuck!" he yelled, smacking the top of his car door.

"Liam," Hayden said, reaching out to touch his outstretched arm that balanced him up.

"Don't!" he said, recoiling back.

"Dude, dude, it's okay," Mason tried, coming up behind her, Corey and Nolan on his heels.

"Why did you invite her!" Liam yelled. They all seemed to freeze. "Why...why today…?" he said more slowly, turning around and crumpling to the ground against his car. They watched as he started to cry, a fist raising a smacking down hard against the concrete. Hayden smelled it first, but they could all see that his claws were digging into his palms, blood leaking out onto the ground.

"What happened?" Nolan whispered to Corey. The chimera shook his head, watching the scene unfold with his own equal disbelief.

Mason went to comfort him when Hayden crouched down first. "Liam…?"

"Please, go…" he croaked.

"Liam, talk to me," she said. "What's going on?" The werewolf shook his head, not taking his hands away. "Please?" She moved her hand slowly towards him. She took it as an encouraging sign when she wrapped her fingers around his wrist and he didn't jerk away. Hayden tugged at it, towing it away from his face. She held it, waiting for Liam to make the next move. With his thumb and forefinger, he swatted at the tears and pinched the bridge of his nose. "It's okay…"

"It's not," he said.

"Why isn't it?"

"It just…"

"Did something happen?" He shook his head again, but dropped his hand to one of his curled-up knees, blood staining his jeans. "Did something happen in China?"

She waited, being the only one to hear the jump in his heartbeat and the increase in pace. She squeezed his hand encouragingly, hoping that subtle coax would help. "I…" They didn't push, knowing this had to happen naturally. "I never should have gone."

"Why?" Liam turned his head away, pulling at his hand to try and escape. "Liam, why shouldn't you have gone?"

"Because of this," he said, turning to look at them. Sorrow and grief dripped from his every part of his face. He looked wrecked—emotionally drained to his core. But it wasn't the tracks of his tears that they looked at. Nor was it the red-stained cheeks or the sweat-dampened hair. It was his eyes, and not the red-veins that screamed that he'd been crying. No, it was the glow. That werewolf-glow. But now, instead of yellow, they were blue.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Character Visualization:
> 
> \--"Jeremy Kim" portrayed by Ki Hong Lee  
> \--"Pamela Geyer" portrayed by Brigid Brannagh  
> \--"Jayna Geyer" portrayed by Rosario Dawson  
> \--"An-Mei Kim" portrayed by France Nuyen  
> \--"Gail Hewitt" portrayed by Regina King  
> \--"Lena Kim" portrayed by Joan Chen  
> \--"Nena Kim" portrayed by Jessica Gomes


	2. We Must Be Killers

Liam got up from the edge of his bed and walked to his closet. He rummaged around inside, straightening and spacing out his jackets and shirts. He stepped back. He looked over at his computer screen. Still nothing. He paced over to the drawers under his bed and looked at its contents; nothing needed doing. He got up and looked at the screen again. The cursor in the chat box blinked at him, yet no message, no green light to signal that he was on. Liam sat back down on his bed, rubbing his hand through his short hair…

" _Have you talked to Scott?" Mason asked, crouched down next to his best friend._

" _No," Liam croaked, looking down at his shoes, his eyes back to normal._

" _You need to call him, Liam."_

" _I can't."_

" _He can help. He'll understand. Whatever happened, whatever it is, he'll understand. Liam, you're his beta. His first beta. You understand that, right? What that means? You can talk to him. You need to talk to him."_

" _I just can't. How he reacted to Stiles...I just…"_

" _Liam, you know I have to if you don't." Liam looked up at him in horror. "He gave me a job. If something happened, something major, then I'm supposed to call him. Dude, this is big."_

" _Please, don't."_

" _Then call him." ..._

Liam blinked, breaking his trance-like stare at his red chucks sticking out from the bottom of his closet. He looked over at the screen; still nothing. He got up and walked into the bathroom, searching for something to do, something to occupy his mind. He had only just started organizing the drawer beneath his sink when he heard the buzz. He ran out and saw his phone alit. There was a set of texts, from Scott.

/ I can't make it tonight. There's an emergency with one of the dogs. /

/ I work all day tomorrow. Can I Skype you around lunch the next day? /

/ I know I'm not there physically, but I haven't forgotten about you. I promise. You'll always be my beta. You're like a brother to me. /

 _Fuck,_ Liam thought, reading that last sentence several times. He typed back.

/ Talk to you then. /

He hoped Scott would message him back, show his concern, but he didn't. Liam reasoned that he couldn't—the emergency—but his heart still ached. The anticipation, the anxiety, it sat in the core of his chest and made their home in the pit of his stomach. He collapsed back on his bed, his phone clattering as it fell to the floor. He stared up at the white ceiling, lit only by the lamp on his nightstand and the light in the bathroom. His fingertips started to numb as the memory of that morning plagued his thoughts once again. He closed his eyes and cried, unable to stop them. When _his claws plunged in_ , he rushed to his feet, hurrying to the bathroom.

He looked at his right hand, his nails elongated into claws. He grabbed hold of the fore, and through his tears and whimpers, yanked with full force. He cried out as the nail ripped off from point to base. He reached for the next, and then the next until his four fingers were covered in blood. He grabbed at the claw still on his thumb. He couldn't secure the hold, though, the fingers on his left slick with too much blood. He tried and tried but just-couldn't-get it.

He looked up in frustration, spotting his face for the first time in weeks, staring at his glowing blue eyes. "Ahhhhh!" he cried in frustration, throwing his bloody fist at his reflection, slamming it over and over into the mirror until chunks of it fell off onto the ceramic counter top. He collapsed to the floor, his back slamming hard into the wall behind him. He banged his head against the wall once, his tears burning his eyes and cooling his heated cheeks, his teeth clenched to the point of pain.

"Liam?" came the sound of Aunt Jayna's voice. "Oh my god, Liam!" she exclaimed, rushing over to him and crouching beside him. "What happened?"

"They can't know," he croaked, looking at her, pleading with his eyes.

"Okay, okay," she said. "Just let me see," she said. He shook his head, his claw still extended. She grabbed anyway, though, and saw it. Her eyes jumped right back up to meet his, her hand snapping away. Liam saw the fear and made to run. He got to his feet. A hand caught his wrist. She used the leverage to pull herself up. "Stop. Don't go." He froze, unsure of what to do next. She looked down at his mutilated hand. "They'll...you'll heal." Liam's eyes darted back up to hers. "Come on," she said, walking him over to the sink. She started to wash his hand, cleaning it of the blood. His claw retreated. His tears had slowed. She toweled his hand slowly. "You okay?"

Liam simply looked at her, stunned, confused, and emotional.

"Come here," she said, pulling him into a hug. He returned the embrace slowly, his mind slowly climbing out of its restraints. After a moment, she pulled back. "Let's try it again. Are you okay? Enough to get some sleep without trying...this again?" she said, motioning towards his hand. He nodded, mouth slipping open. "It's getting late." She patted his cheek and led them out into his bedroom. The light was still off in the hallway, meaning his parents hadn't woken up. "See you in the morning."

"Yeah," Liam finally said. "See you."

/ | * | * | \

When Liam got back from his morning run, his stepdad's sister was still asleep. He needed to talk to her, to ask her. How did she know? Was she like him? Maybe something else? However, he had promised to solve another mystery that morning. He grabbed a quick shower, took a packet of blueberry pop-tarts to go, and took his car to pick up Jeremy Kim.

"Hey," Jeremy said.

"Hey," Liam replied, his tone as somber as it had been the day before.

"You okay? You look pretty out of it."

"I...had an episode last night," Liam answered, shifting the gear into 'D' and taking off out of the development.

"An episode?"

"I told you I have IED." Jeremy nodded. "I had an outburst, in my bedroom. Busted my mirror. Broke my hand." He paused, refusing to look at his friend. "I...I tore off some of my claws."

"Liam—"

"I'm okay, now. My hand healed." He held up his right hand, showing the unscathed skin and regrown fingernails.

They drove in silence, getting through the first two lights before either of them spoke. "You need to let her go; she wanted you to." Liam didn't respond and Jeremy didn't push any further.

Liam pulled into a space next to Mason's car, spotting his best friend standing by the front door of the animal clinic. "Are you ready for this?" the werewolf asked.

"Let's just get this over with," Jeremy replied, unbuckling and getting out.

"Morning," Mason said as the two young men approached him.

"Morning," Liam replied. "Jeremy, this is Mason; Mason, this is Jeremy."

"Hey," Mason said, sticking out his hand.

"Hi," Jeremy replied, taking it. "Are you like Liam?"

"No. Still human. But you are?"

"He's something," Liam said, looking between them.

"Let's find out, then," Mason said, turning and leading them inside. "Doc?" he called.

"Come on back!" Deaton yelled, his voice coming from the storage room. "I'll be right there." Mason opened the gate and the two boys followed him towards the examination-table. They heard some rummaging through bags and moving of plastic crates before the druid emerged. "Good to see you home, Liam," he said, emerging with what looked like a plastic tool case. "I should've known you'd be joining us for this," he said to Mason, placing the case face down on the counter to the side. "And you must be Jeremy. I'm Dr. Deaton."

"You're gonna' find out what I am?"

"I'm certainly going to try," he said, adding his most reassuring smile.

"How? Are you...like us. Do you have some ability?"

"What did Liam tell you about this other part of the world?"

"Just that he's a werewolf, and that there're others. Other things."

"Before Liam, had you heard of the supernatural?" Jeremy shook his head.

"None of the other members of his family gave off a scent," Liam said.

"So far as you could tell," Deaton offered, Liam nodding in agreement.

"My grandma knew about him, though," Jeremy added.

"But she wasn't supernatural," Liam cleared.

"Did you ever see him shift?" Deaton asked the beta.

"Not all the way," Liam answered, "but his eyes turned green when he looked at the nemeton."

"You found another one?" Mason said excitedly.

"It's still active, too," Liam said. "It's fully grown."

"Wow."

"Green narrows it down," Deaton said. "Anything else you can tell me? Anything happen in the past? If so, when? Strange memories, dreams, or occurrences?"

"My grandparents and my father all died within the last two months," Jeremy blurted. Deaton and Mason looked at him, clearly taken aback; Liam, however, couldn't bear to look up.

"Any of them natural causes?" Deaton asked. Jeremy shook his head again.

"There was also a presence," Liam said, pulling himself together. "In the house when I stayed with him. I can't describe it beyond just a nagging feeling."

"Can I try something?" Deaton said to the newer man, eliciting a nod from him. He opened the case in front of him, revealing all manner of tools and vials. Bypassing all the oddities, his lifted a scalpel from the end and offered out his hand. Jeremy slowly gave him his wrist and Deaton made a straight incision along the out muscle near his bone. He looked at his watch and waited. After a few minutes, the wound healed up completely. He turned back to the kit and retrieved a small syringe. He gently drew blood and walked the sample over to his microscope.

"Anything?" Mason asked after a moment.

"Very strange," Deaton said. "I've never seen these cells before. Each one has a twin, but each twin is foreign. It's pure feline."

"Another set of twins?" Mason groaned.

"Another?" Jeremy started.

"Unfortunately, I don't have an answer right now," Deaton said, standing straight and looking at them. "Give me some time, I'm sure Mason will be flipping through the Argents' bestiary, too. We'll come up with something, I promise." Jeremy nodded, a smile tugging at his lips.

_Ching, ching._

"That'd be my first appointment, boys," Deaton said with a smile.

"Thank you," Jeremy said.

"Thanks, Doc," Mason said, Liam and Deaton exchanging a look of mixed emotions.

They passed by a mother and her daughter, a small calico kitten kenneled on the counter. "I'm gonna' take him home," Liam said to Mason as Jeremy walked off to get in the car.

"You alright?" Mason said. Liam shrugged. "Did you call Scott?"

"I messaged him. We were supposed to Skype last night but something came up on his end. We're supposed to talk tomorrow."

"Okay." Mason paused for a moment, considering. "Do you wanna' talk? To me? Or, you can just come over. Or I'll come over. We can just hang."

"I can't tonight; I've got an errand to run after this. Not sure how long it'll take. But, I dunno.' Maybe something soon."

"Just...Liam, you're my best friend. It's obviously destroying you. I wanna' help. However I can. Just...you tell me when and where, alright?"

"Thanks," Liam said, forcing a smile. Mason pulled him into a hug, kissed his temple, and grinned encouragingly, forcing Liam to do the same. The werewolf gave him a final nod before going their separate ways.

At the light waiting to enter Jeremy's development, the undetermined supernatural tore his gaze from the window to look at the werewolf. "Mason's cool."

"Mason's a nerd," Liam retorted.

"Heh, he's a cool nerd then."

"Yeah…"

"Dr. Deaton...what's his story?"

"That's a good question," Liam said, pressing on the gas pedal. "He's Scott's emissary. A druid. He's human, but he knows a lot about our kind. He's like a teacher, someone we go to for guidance."

"You trust him?"

"He's not a hunter," Liam reassured. "And they won't bother us here."

"Because of Scott?"

"Because of a lot of reasons, but yes." Jeremy looked back out the window until Liam pulled into the driveway next to Mrs. Kim's car. "I'll see you tomorrow? We'll...do something? You can meet the rest of the pack, err, those that're here."

"Yeah, it'll be nice to get out," Jeremy tried.

"Later, then."

"Later." Jeremy gave him a final sad smile before heading inside. "Mom?" Jeremy called out. A small push against his leg urged him to look down. "Hey, Shun," he said, delighted at seeing his cat. "Where's mom, buddy?" He walked deeper into the house, looking around the main floor. It was empty. "Mom?" he called again, heading upstairs.

/ | * | * | \

Liam parked at the water treatment plant, finding only one company vehicle there. He walked passed the office, the man with his back to the window. All too familiar with the facility, he found his way to the metal stairs, hurried down, and started his venture through the tunnels. Liam passed by the alcove where they found Brett. He stopped, mentally paying an homage to the beta and his sister. He thought back to the afternoon before his death, how he'd been trying to help him control his anger. He'd been a dick that afternoon, and now in hindsight he could see Brett had only been trying to help.

His mind recalled standing over them. It jumped to Monroe and the sound of her pistol pulling a bullet into the chamber. The sound in his head pulled him out of his stare. He missed them. He hated this. He forced himself to look down the tunnels. He carried on, the first step heavy as he moved deeper through the dimly lit tunnels. Without a turn-back, he eventually found it. The ouroboros and the hidden door. He knocked twice on the fake wall. "It's Liam!" he yelled, his voice echoing down the walls. When no reply followed, even giving it a full minute, he walked back over to the circular panel and turned it. As he pressed through the door, he found Theo leaning against the wall, looking at him.

"Welcome back," the chimera said, smirking.

Liam paused at the threshold, looking away from the other man. "Thanks, I guess."

Theo rolled his eyes. "Just...come in and close the door." He started walking into the bigger room. "Jesus, there's more joy in the morgue," he muttered. Liam followed him in, taking in the renovations for the first time. It looked...well it looked like an apartment. "You want anything?"

"I'm alright."

"What's wrong with—fuck, what happened to you?" Liam looked up at him, confused and unsure. "Anxiety and...loathing are seeping out of you. It wasn't me this time; I've been good. Kept a low profile as request—"

" _I_ did something," Liam blurted. Theo stopped and turned to look at him. "I…" He still couldn't say the words. He walked over to the couch and sat down, leaning over and burying his hands in his hair. He didn't cry, but his head started pounding. His heart started to race and his fingers started to tingle again. He was aware enough to notice Theo move. That the chimera had sat on his coffee table directly in front of him.

Theo grabbed his wrists and pulled his hands away. "Show me," Theo said calmly, almost somberly. Liam didn't move. "It's okay. That's why you're here, right? You needed someone who'd understand, who wouldn't judge." Liam turned and shoved his eyes into the crook of his elbow. Theo let go of his wrists and leaned down closer to him. "Let me see." Although he still didn't move at first, slowly he relented. He dragged his head up, opening his eyes and looking at Theo with his glowing blues, accented by the bed of tears caught on the lower eyelid. Theo stared at them for a moment, taking in all that was meant by the new hue. He smiled after, a lighter, touching smile. "Scott has a phrase, doesn't he? 'We're predators, but we don't have to be killers.' Looking at you, at the state of you, you're not a killer, even though your eyes are blue. I know killers, and you're not one."

Liam's eyes wavers, a tear breaking through the hold and falling to the floor. Another followed when he inhaled. "Why...why're you being nice to me?"

Theo smiled again, leaning back. "I'm not in your pack; never will be as you've made clear," he said with a teasing tug at the corner of his mouth. "But you are my friend, and I'm not gonna' let you fall away." Liam's mouth parted, his tears stifling. "Alright?" Liam nodded. "Are you hungry?" The boy nodded again, a smile tugging at his lips. "Let's go get some pizza," Theo said, slapping Liam in the arm before standing to find his keys.


	3. Missing

"Were you able to eat a whole pizza before you became a werewolf, too?" Theo asked, smirking as Liam started on his last slice.

"No," he said through the cheese sticking to his teeth. "I could get troo tree quarters, tow."

"Lovely." Liam shrugged. "Have you seen Scott since you've been back?"

Liam shook his head. "Only Mason, Corey, and Nolan. And Hayden...she's back for the summer."

"How's that?"

"I freaked out a little yesterday."

"Not surprised."

"Screw you. Add this to your bill," he said, motioning to the empty pizza tray.

"Screw _that_ ," Theo said. "A whole pizza?"

"Don't be a dick, then."

"I'm homeless. I'm allowed to be a dick."

"You're not homeless," Liam said, chewing on the crust. "You're above-ground challenged. You're also not poor," he added when Theo made to retort. "I don't even have a flat screen in my room, and I live in a house."

Theo frowned, but ultimately looked away. "Fine, I'll pay for your fucking pizza."

Liam grinned. "Two words: student loans."

Theo shook his head, yet dug out his wallet regardless. "I don't buy that your doctor stepdad isn't paying for school, but fine."

"You're the best."

"Oh, I know," Theo said with a grin.

The waitress came to collect the bill and bring them to-go refills. After Theo gave her a warm smile, he turned back to the werewolf, only to see his mood had dropped. "You gonna' be alright tonight?"

"I guess."

"You guess?"

"I had an episode last night."

"Define episode."

"I tore off four of my claws by hand."

"Fuck…" Theo blurted.

The waitress returned with the receipt and change, giving them both a final smile. "Ready?" Liam said.

"Yeah…" Theo got up and followed the werewolf out, still stunned by the other's revelation. They got in the truck and Liam stopped Theo from turning on the ignition. "What?"

"I...I have a favor to ask." Theo's eyebrow lifted. "It's kinda' weird, since we're not that close and you're...you."

"What is it?" Theo pressed.

"I don't...I don't really wanna' be alone tonight. Would you...I mean, if you don't mind...would you stay over?"

"What about Mason?"

Liam shrugged.

"Why me?"

"I…I trust you."

"That's ill-advised," Theo tried to tease. "So, you don't trust Mason?" Theo continued, not eliciting the reaction he was hoping for.

"I do. He just…I can't tell him."

"Don't you have parents?"

"I...yeah…"

"I mean, around? They can look after you."

Liam shrugged, looking down at his shoes. Theo didn't say anything in turn and started up the car. When he approached the light, though, he signaled to go the opposite way from the treatment plant. "Where're we going?"

"You can get your car in the morning."

Liam turned away from him to look out the window. "Okay."

/ | * | * | \

Liam flicked the porch lights on as he entered the house. He looked into the dark family room to see the TV on, the sound muted and his mom fast asleep on the couch. In the kitchen, he heard a cabinet close followed by a microwave ding. "Liam, that you?" came Aunt Jayna's voice.

"Yeah," he said.

She popped her head around the corner and smiled at him. Her eyes moved to Theo. She walked towards them, her smile holding. "Hi," she said to the strange boy.

"This is Theo," Liam said to her. "This is my Aunt Jayna. She's in town for…" He paused. "How long are you staying?" he asked quizzically.

"Few months maybe? I'm not sure."

"Cool."

"Theo, nice to meet you," she said, giving Liam a look.

"You, too," the chimera said, looking between them after spotting her expression.

"Could I steal him for a minute?" she said to the older boy.

"Uh, sure?" Theo replied.

"My bedroom's upstairs, second door on the right," Liam assured. Theo excused himself with a smile to the woman. When the top stair creaked, she directed her head towards the kitchen before leading Liam into it. She walked over to the counter where a glass, a carton of milk, a box of liquid, a bottle of liquid, and a spoon were set out.

"So, is there something you wanna' tell me?" she said, taking the glass and holding it under the ice dispenser embedded in the refrigerator.

"I mean, you already kinda' know, right?" Liam said, leaning against the island counter. "You saw it last night. You even said—"

"I mean about Theo," she said, twisting to pop a knowing smirk at him.

"About Theo…?" Liam started. A second later his eyes bulged. "You mean...me and _him_...no. Alhh," he groaned, making a gagging face.

"Uh huh."

"I'm not...he's not...just...no."

"If you say so," she said, not dropping her smirk as she returned to the counter.

Liam frowned. Jayna started on her beverage silently. "So, um, about last night," Liam started. "I...I didn't mean for anyone to see that."

Jayna turned to look at him, crossing her arms and leaning against the edge of the counter. "Something happened to you. You don't need to apologize." The werewolf looked down. "Was last night your first change?"

Liam shook his head. "No, I...I got turned when I was a freshman. In high school."

"Liam…"

"It's okay. I'm...I'm content with it now?" he said, looking up at her although clearly not quite convinced himself.

"Do your parents know?"

He shook his head. "And they can't. My IED...school...they worry about me enough."

"I won't," she assured. He looked down again. "Your alpha?"

He looked up again. "Scott."

"Is he good to you?"

Liam smiled. "Yeah." He laughed a little to himself. "Scott's...he's like an older brother? He's only two years older than me. He's...incredible. Maybe you'll get to meet him while you're here." She smiled at him. "How do you…?" Jayna looked down. "You're not…?"

"No, I'm not," she said, sliding the toe of her shoe along the tile. "After...after my brother married your mom, I met a guy. Felix Belmont. Gorgeous. Charming." He watched her smile. "He spoke French." She paused, simply watched her foot. "He...he was reserved. Isolated. Maybe even lonely. You see people like him all the time. They sit at restaurants by themselves. At work, you invite them out but they never join you. Felix was like that. By all accounts, we shouldn't have met. But we did. I…" She paused to laugh. "I spilled soda all over him." Liam smiled. "We...we just fell in love. Well, after we cleaned him up." She looked up at her nephew. "We got engaged. He met Mark. And your mom. I…"

"You miss him," Liam stated.

Jayna's lip bunched before she nodded. "I found out he was a druid. He introduced me to your world the night he proposed. His brother happened to be a werewolf. He, well he shifted, and that was that."

"You told him, 'no?'"

"God, no. I said, 'yes.' It didn't matter. Sure, the world was even crazier than I thought, but he could protect me. Until he couldn't." She paused again and looked down. "Some hunters came for Marcus while he was with us. I guess they knew Felix was a druid so they tried to separate them. Felix stepped in, the gun went off. He died in the parking lot. And Marcus, I never heard from him after they took him. You can assume…" She looked up at Liam. "It was a long time ago. You were only five years old and...well, I understand a little."

"Aunt Jayna, I **—** "

"I'm having a drink," she said, smiling at him before turning back around. "You want me to make you one?"

"It won't affect me," Liam said with a grin.

"I forgot about that. Well," she started, pouring the last bit over the ice before picking it up and stirring, "go see to your _friend_ ," she said with sarcastic emphasis, "and make sure you have some fun."

"I swear he's not gay."

"It's okay if he is," she said, tossing the spoon into the sink and jamming a straw through the ice. "And you. And, you know they won't care either," she added, motioning towards her sister-in-law.

"Okay. But, so you know, I did have a girlfriend."

"Well good on you for giving it a try," she said with a tease.

"Aaand I'm going upstairs," he said with a fake frown.

"Liam?"

"Hm?"

"When you wanna' talk about why you were...about last night...I'm here." He nodded, exchanging an understanding look with her. He started for the stairs, his aunt behind him. She opened the front door, presumably to sit out on the front porch. "Hey, is he…?"

"Like me?" Liam asked, a few stairs up. She nodded. "More or less." They shared another look before she winked at him.

As Liam walked into his room, he found Theo resting against the headboard, his laptop taken from his desk, and the low volume of a movie playing. The chimera tapped at the space bar and looked up at him. "Hope you don't mind," he said. Liam shook his head, kicked off his shoes, and sat next to him.

"Have you not seen _Man of Steel_?" Liam said, looking at the frozen frame of young Clark pushing the bus out of the creek.

"I was preoccupied with other things at the time." Liam's eyebrow lifted. "I was buried underground," Theo deadpanned.

"Oh."

"So, what was that about?"

Liam got up and started about the room, digging out an extra blanket from his closet. "Nothing. She, uh, she just wanted to check in."

"If you say so."

"Did you listen in?" Theo shrugged. In turn, Liam chucked the blanket at him, eliciting a laugh from the older boy after he caught it. He walked over and closed his bedroom door. He started at his drawers, retrieving a pair of athletic shorts. He stood up and tore of his t-shirt, revealing his grey wife-beater underneath. His cargo shorts quickly joined his T in the hamper. Theo couldn't help but watch the last bit as Liam slid into the clean pair, pulling them over his form-fitting black boxer briefs. "Do you want anything to change into?"

"I'm alright," Theo said before watching Liam close the bathroom door behind him so he could get ready.

Only a few minutes passed, the sound of a flushing toilet and spitting into the sink permeating out before the werewolf exited. Now, though, his undershirt had been removed, his skin sporting a slight sheen, the front of his torso now fully covered in hair. He flipped a switch by his bedroom door and suddenly the fan started to spin. He clambered on the bed, Theo scooting over towards the window. The chimera looked over at him first. He looked at his host's face, making note that he seemingly hadn't aged a day since last he saw him. He looked back at the movie. A moment later, Liam did the same. Theo's jaw was dusted with a streak of stubble, extending from one buzzed sideburn to the other. He looked away, not really interested in the movie as his head was clogged with thoughts about everything.

"What?" Theo said, not taking his eyes off the screen. Liam looked at him, eyebrow lifting again. "You were staring."

"So were you," the werewolf said, looking away.

"Should I shut this off?" Theo offered. "It's only nine o'clock, but…"

_Bzz, bzz._

"It's fine," Liam said, getting up to find his phone. "You're fine." He bent over to dig his phone out of his shorts. There was a text and a call, both from Jeremy.

/ Something's wrong /

"Shit," Liam muttered.

"What?"

Liam tapped his friend's contact, hit dial, and brought the phone to his ear. Jeremy picked up immediately. "Hey, what's going on?"

"My mom," Jeremy said with a panic. "She's missing."

/ | * | * | \

"Who is this kid?" Theo asked as they walked up to the Kim's front door.

"I stayed with him in China when I was abroad," Liam said, ringing the doorbell. "He's supernatural."

"But you still don't know what?"

The door swung open, Jeremy expression just as panicked as his tone had been.

"No," Liam answered quietly before grabbing at the screen door handle. "You okay?"

"She's missing, Liam," Jeremy said hurriedly. "She's been gone since this morning. When I got back from the clinic, there was no sign of her."

"But her car's in the driveway…" Liam stated.

"I thought she'd gone for a walk. Maybe to the store? She used to do that when we lived in San Diego."

"Wait, the clinic, that was hours ago."

"I got tired. She wasn't answering her phone. I fell asleep on the couch. When I woke up I thought maybe she'd be here. It's...it's happening again."

"We don't know that," Liam said forcefully, grabbing the older boy's shoulder. "Do me a favor: get me a picture of her. And her number."

"Yeah, I...okay." Jeremy backed up and sat on the stairs, sifting through his phone. Liam and Theo exchanged a look. The chimera started to walk through the house, looking around for anything outstanding. As he walked down the hall, he could feel something amyss. He turned to look at Liam, only to see the werewolf watching him. When Theo made motion with his hand and his face partially scrunched, Liam nodded, confirming that he wasn't the only one. The chimera continued into the family room. There was nothing. No sign of struggle. No blood. He let his eyes glow, taking a more detailed examination. Nothing.

"This one work?" Jeremy said, showing the picture to his friend.

"Yeah, send it to me," Liam said, digging out his phone. He opened his contacts menu, found an entry, and dialed. "Hey, Sheriff, sorry to bother you this late." … "No, it was fine. I'll tell everyone about what I found when Scott comes home." … "So, look, I've got a bit of situation here." … "Could be. I'm not sure. Um, my friend's mom is missing. She's been gone all day. Her car's here. Can I send you her information and a picture? Maybe you can put out an APB? Track her phone?" … "Great. Thanks." … "Yeah, you, too. I'll let you know if it's the other thing." … "Bye."

"Stilinski's looking into it?" Theo said, having walked back to the front of the house.

"Yeah. I also wanna' try and track her by scent."

"Of course you do."


	4. What Changed the Color of His Eyes

Liam woke up from the shin pushing into his thigh. His eyes opened to a view of his ceiling, the light of the afternoon sun illuminating it and the entire room. He felt something against his face, though. He turned his head, almost bumping his nose against Theo's; the chimera's face was inches from his own. He stilled for a moment, feeling the boy's breath against him, breathing it in as it permeated in intervals. It smelled like Theo, the scent not too unrelated from the boy's morning essence either.

When he realized he'd been staring, Liam sat up, bring his legs a little closer to his body. "Theo?" he said, looking down at the boy crowded in the space next to him.

"I'm awake," the dirty-blonde answered, his eyes remaining shut.

Liam made a face. "And yet you still jammed your leg into mine."

"Your bed's too small."

"Well I guess I'll just have to get a queen-bed so I don't fall off the bed."

There was a pause for a second before Theo opened an eye and smiled up at him. "Planning on having me in your bed again?"

Liam reddened. "I...fuck you. I'm taking a shower." Theo laughed as the werewolf got out of bed. Liam check his phone plugged in on his desk. There was a message from Scott.

/ I should be able to call around 1230. /

Seeing that it was ten after 12, he quickly hurried about his room for his change of clothes for the day before running into the bathroom. He was quick—five minutes under the spray at most. As he came out, his ruffled the towel through his hair, getting as much of the loose droplets as possible.

"Your dad came in," Theo said, now lying on his back with his head slightly propped up. Liam froze, his face whitening. "Said you need to come downstairs."

"And he...oh shit…"

Theo simply shrugged. Liam looked to the door. He dropped his towel and went out into the hall. His mind quickly got lost in the scramble of thoughts. _How should he explain Theo? Why was Theo being so nice to him?_ He rounded the corner and instead of seeing an angry face looking up at him, his stepdad was laughing along with Jayna and an all too familiar face. In the foyer, from the top of the stairs, he could see Scott McCall in the flesh.

Seeing motion in his peripheral, Scott turned to look up the stairs. "Hey," the alpha said with a brightened smile. "Surprise."

Liam smiled. "Hi." He made his way down and hugged Scott, Liam stealing a glance at his aunt, she in turn looking at him with an understanding look.

"Can I take you to lunch?"

Liam nodded. "Lemme' just grab my shoes."

"Have you heard from your mom?" Dr. Geyer asked as Liam sat on the floor in front of the open hallway closet.

"Talked to her the other morning," Scott replied. "They're having a great time in France."

"She deserves to be happy," Mark Geyer replied with a smile.

"I'll give her your best next time she calls," Scott said.

"Please do."

"Alright, I'm starving," Liam said enthusiastically, getting to his feet with a grin.

"Ah—before you leave," his stepfather halted him, "what about your _guest_?" Scott looked at his beta curiously.

Liam froze at the mention, not even considering the chimera he'd left in his bed. "I, uh, he's gonna'—"

"Join you," Theo said, coming down from the top of the stairs. Scott's expression shifted from puzzlement to bewilderment. His mouth fell open, his eyes widening slightly. Even his breath hitched. Scott could smell him when he started to breathe again. His scent was mixed, split between his own and that of Liam's. He smelled like his beta's bedroom, his sheets, even his body spray. "So, where're we going?"

/ | * | * | \

"Is this what you needed to talk to me about?" Scott said, looking at Liam before pressing on the gas to turn out of the neighborhood.

"We're really not together," Liam said. When Theo didn't respond, Liam twisted around to glare at him. "Right?"

"I mean, who needs labels anyway?" Theo replied with a devilish smirk.

Liam turned back around and fumed. "I hate you. So much."

"Kinda' the opposite of what you told me last night," Theo said.

"This is not how I wanted this to go," Liam said, pushing back into the cushion of the seat and squeezing his eyes shut.

"So you really are together?" Scott said, bringing Roscoe to a halt at the red light.

"No, we're not," Theo confirmed. "Liam just needed some _company_ last night."

"Just...shut up," Liam said, his nose flaring as he glared back at him again.

"Is this about China then?" Scott asked. Liam froze in his seat, his heart jumping. "Did you find any others?" The beta's blood-pump de-escalated, remembering the conversation they'd had back in December about Monroe and the other nemetons.

"Um, kinda?' Can we get food to go? I...we probably shouldn't be around people."

Scott side-eyed him for a moment before nodding. They ultimately decided on Del Taco, ordering through the drive-thru before Scott drove them to the nearest local park. Finding a picnic table a good distance away from the numerous children playing on the jungle gym, as well as their parents, the three young men started sorting out the large order into three. Liam took his seat next to Scott, Theo sitting in the middle across from them both. The beta didn't touch his food at first, struggling with how he wanted to do this. As the memories prodded at his thought process, his decision became easier and easier. He'd wait to eat. He needed to do this now.

"You gonna' eat?" Scott said, his mouth already full of taco.

"I...Scott, something happened," Liam started. Already he could feel his emotions rushing to his face. His eyes felt that familiar pressure. His cheeks became hot. His mouth turned dry. Scott looked at him, chewing quickly before swallowing. "I never thought…" He stopped. He'd had ample time to think about how he would tell him, but no preparation truly readied him for this. "I need to show you something." Scott turned his body towards him, unsure of what was about to happen. Liam closed his eyes. He gripped tightly onto his thighs, using the pressure to steady himself, to hold himself together. He concentrated, let them shift, so when he opened his eyes he was looking at Scott with those glowing hollow blues. Again, Scott's expression shifted, though, from uncertainty to unreadable. Liam focused on any signals his alpha could give off, but picked up on none. Scott was a mask. Liam looked away, unable to hold their mutual gaze any longer. He exhaled and it wavered. His hand began to shake.

Until Scott reached out to grab it. The alpha's veins turned black on contact. Scott looked at him softly. "What happened?" he said.

Liam's breathing slowed. With every passing second that carried the loss of pain, so, too, did he feel like his energy was draining. The anxiety he'd been carrying—the self-hate and guilt—it'd been the only thing propping him up each day. "I...Scott, I can't," Liam croaked, bringing his other hand up to hold up his head by his fore.

"You can tell me."

Liam shook his head. "Just…" He pulled his hand away. He turned his body to face his back to Scott. He grabbed his shirt and pushed at it to show his neck, baring the skin.

Instead of driving his claws in, Scott gently took hold of the back of his neck. "Whatever happened, I want to hear it from you. Whatever you tell me, I'll believe you."

"I don't know if I can."

"You can." Scott pulled at his shoulder, Liam following the urge and turning back around. He still didn't look at him, unable to.

Liam's thoughts waged war in a frenzy inside his mind. _How to start? Where to start? Scott is going to hate me. I deserve to be hated. Why did this have to happen? I never should have gone._ Finally, the history student in him kicked in: start from the beginning…

" _How is she?" Jeremy said, walking through the front door of the small apartment._

" _I don't know how much more I can do for her," Liam said, sitting crouched against the wall. His skin was pale and clammy, a thick sheen of sweat covering his body._

" _Shit...you look horrible. How many times?"_

" _Every 20 minutes since you left."_

" _Liam, you told me that was dangerous."_

" _She's your grandmother."_

_Jeremy looked down at his housemate and friend. "You don't owe us your life."_

" _Maybe not, but if I can help…" Jeremy crouched down, taking off his black Pala hat. "It's probably time again."_

" _Liam…"_

" _Help me up." Jeremy sighed. When Liam started to wiggle his body, though, the older boy aided him to his feet. "You've already lost your dad and grandpa; I'm not letting you lose her, too." Jeremy nodded reluctantly yet appreciatively. Taking Liam's arm around his shoulders, they pressed down the short hallway into the bedroom. There, barely breathing, was his grandmother, An-Mei Kim._

" _Xǐ," the old woman said upon seeing her grandson, smiling weakly at him._

" _Mimi," Jeremy returned, helping Liam onto the bed by her thigh._

_The werewolf made to taker her hand in his again when she shook her head. "No more."_

" _But, you're in pain. I can help you relax," Liam said._

" _I know what you are," she said to him, her weak smile not faltering. "Láng rén."_

" _Werewolf," Jeremy said when the beta looked at him._

" _You knew?"_

_She nodded. "You are a kind soul. Special," she said, tapping the back of his hand. "But, my time, it is here."_

" _I can make it easier, though," Liam said, reaching out again._

" _No more try. Make stop."_

" _Mimi…" Jeremy started, realizing what she was asking._

" _Good life. Good boys. Time now."_

" _I can't…" Jeremy said, getting up from his seat next to her and walking to the door._

" _You," she said, taking hold of Liam by his finger, "make quick."_

" _I don't...I don't know that I can," Liam said._

_She smiled at him warmly. "Please…"_

_Liam got up, too, some of his strength having returned. He walked out into the common room, running his hand through his hair. "Liam, I can't do it," Jeremy said, distraught beyond measure. "We can't take her to the hospital...I don't know what to do."_

" _This wasn't supposed to happen," Liam said, staring distantly at the wall. "He's gonna'...I can't."_

" _Lee...um…" An-Mei croaked from the bedroom._

" _I thought I could help…" Liam said._

" _Please…" …_

"I...I sat with her for another two hours," Liam said, his face burning from the tears that had dried, his eyes aching from the expulsion. "She was dying. We didn't know what was wrong, and we couldn't get help. One day she was fine and the next...it happened so fast."

"Come here," Scott said, pulling his beta into his chest, wrapping his arms around him. "She never should have asked that of you."

"I'm so sorry, Scott."

"Hey, don't. This...I told you before. You're my beta and nothing's gonna' change that. You...you showed mercy. Kindness to a stranger. It was an unfair situation and...I don't know what I would've done myself. But, you're not the first and you can't blame yourself."

"Did he make you do it?" Theo said, earning a tempered look from the alpha. "I mean, your friend, he's something, right?" Liam withdrew himself from Scott. "Did you feel...compelled by something? Did anything seem...off?"

"You mean, is he behind this?" Liam said.

"He who?" Scott tried. "There's something else?"

"Jeremy came back with me," Liam said. "His mom lives in Beacon Hills. Moved back to the States after his dad died. He's supernatural, but there was something else in the house."

"You're sure?" Scott said, earning a nod from Liam.

"I felt it, too," Theo admitted. "Just last night."

"And Jeremy's mom is missing," Liam added. "Since yesterday."

"You've talked to Deaton?" Scott said, earning a second nod from his beta.

"He's still looking into it."

"Do I need to stay?" Scott said, looking from Liam to Theo.

"No, there's six of us, seven if Jeremy's who we think he is."

"Six?"

"Apparently Hayden's in town," Theo answered.

"Oh," Scott started. "Well, that's good, right?" Theo, too, looked at Liam for an answer.

/ | * | * | \

Theo walked out of the hallway bathroom to find Liam sitting in the kitchen. "You ready to get your car?"

Liam shook his head, though. "Dr. Deaton called. He thinks he figured it out."

"So we need to get Jeremy then." Liam nodded. "Great."

"Still don't like being social?" Liam said, getting up from the stool.

"You're fine. It's everyone else." Liam looked at him with a confused expression. "Just, come on."

"So you do like me," Liam said as he turned the key on the bolt lock.

"Only as much as you like me," Theo grumbled. Liam didn't respond, both boys silently getting in the truck. "You know, I actually enjoyed working with you. Fighting alongside you. With the ghost riders and the hunters."

"Are you... _trying_?" Liam said, half-teasing him.

"It won't happen again, so, yes, you're cool. You've been the only one to welcome me into any part of the fold so...thanks."

"Scott's welcomed you. He has more to overcome, but he's trying."

"Will you just take the damn compliment?"

Liam smirked. He peered over at the chimera, but looked away no less amused. Theo parked them across the street from the Kim residence, showing some sign of hesitation towards the boy his age, or maybe just the house. Liam walked up first, knocking. The door opened a moment later, Jeremy looking as if he hadn't slept at all since they last saw him.

"Any word?" Jeremy asked, stepping aside as they walked in.

"None yet," Liam said as his new friend closed the door. "Deaton called, though. He might've figured it out."

"Then I...I should get my shoes," he said unemphatically. Liam nodded, encouraging him to walk into the kitchen to get them. "Hey, Shun, you need to stay here," he muttered out of sight.

_Boom, boom, boom._

"Jeremy Kim, this is the FBI, open up!"


	5. The Crossroads of Chaos

"Fuck this and fuck him," Theo shouted to himself. He blew through the red light, passing angrily by a parked cop car outside a McDonald's. He pressed harder on the gas pedal, ignoring any alarm bells in his head. "They were right. So fucking right. 'Don't get attached.' And now...fuck him and this...!"

The back of his truck shot up hard from the bump between the road and the parking lot in front of the animal clinic. As it did, along with the screeching of his fast turning tires, four heads turned to look at him. He pulled up alongside Liam's friends. "Get in!" Theo yelled, the window rolled down and his eyes only on Mason.

"Theo?" he began.

"What do you want?" Hayden began, stepping in front of the three boys.

"Liam's been arrested," the chimera answered, not taking his eyes of the former Beast.

"What?"

"Get in!"

Mason started for the handle when Corey grabbed his wrist. "You're going with _him_?"

"Why were you even with him?" Hayden said, glaring at her former alpha.

"Are you coming or not?"

"It'll be fine," Mason said as he turned to his boyfriend. He offered a smile before pulling free and opening the passenger door. "I'll be back." Theo didn't waste a glance towards the other three. He pressed down hard on the pedal, heading back the way he came, keeping his eyes open for the turn. "Theo, what's going on? Why're you even—"

"He came to me. Needed my help. I helped. And then he got his dumbass arrested."

"Helped? Why am I even here?" Mason looked him over. He could see the chimera was upset. Yes, his voice was stressed. Frustrated. But his body language—his eyes—they were tense. Worried.

"Yes, helped. His eyes. He needed...just...they think he and this Jeremy kid offed Jeremy's family. And…" Theo stopped, hitched on what he was about to say. "And, you need to call Liam's parents. He might need a lawyer."

"Okay, rewind. They?"

"The FBI. Your mother."

/ | * | * | \

"We've got about five minutes left," Sheriff Stilinski said, looking into the rear-view mirror, into Liam's eyes. He was looking down, focused on the tremor between his twiddling thumbs. His forehead was sweating. His breath was strained. He deserved this. "Hey, Liam, look at me." The beta complied. "I can't help you if you don't talk to me. If you tell me now, we can work on the official story when we get there." Their gaze held for only a second before the werewolf looked back down. "Alright, well you should know that you're not technically under arrest, but Special Agent Hewitt has quite a case built already."

"Okay."

"I know Scott's not around, but I'm still on your side."

"'There's a process you have to follow.'"

"What?"

"'When you find yourself fighting a war, you're gonna' have to kill people.'"

"Liam, did you—"

"I wasn't at war," Liam confirmed, flashing his blue eyes.

"Okay. Stop talking." Sheriff Stilinski gave Liam a reassuring look before turning back to the road.

/ | * | * | \

"Why did he go to you?"

"It's obvious," Theo said, getting antsy at the red light; a deputy was two cars behind him now. Mason just looked at him. "He killed someone. So have I. He needed someone that could relate. That wouldn't judge him."

"I'm not judging him."

"C'mon, he told me what happened. That you threatened to tell Scott."

"I didn't...that's _not_ what happened. I...Scott gave me a job. I had to…"

"It doesn't matter."

"So he told you what happened. I mean, the details. He told you but couldn't tell me."

"It's not about you." Theo pressed on the gas pedal, the sheriff's station in sight far down on the right. "He's hurting. He took a life and you...you have no experience in that. It was hard for him to…" Theo stopped himself, careful to reveal any details. "It was hard. He's broken right now. He needs everyone." Mason looked out the window, anxiety seeping out of him. "God, I sound like I'm...fuck."

"Like you're part of the pack?" Theo pulled silently into the parking lot. "You're not."

"Despite my _better_ nature, Liam didn't tell me. He told Scott. I just happened to be there." They exchanged a heated look before making for the public entrance. "And Mason."

"Hm?"

"Fuck you."

/ | * | * | \

"Liam, I need to ask you some questions about your time in Zhengzhou, China."

"Okay," he said, looking up at his best friend's mother behind the sheriff's desk, a woman he'd come to know and cherish for years.

"You were studying abroad?"

He nodded.

"For the tape, I need you to answer verbally."

"Yes, I was studying abroad. At Zhengzhou University."

"And where are you studying full time and what major?"

"I'm at UC Santa Barbara studying history."

"Why did you decide to study in China?"

"You don't have to answer her," Theo's voice seemed to whisper in his ears. He looked up and saw Agent Hewitt looking through the office window. He listened and could hear Mason arguing with the sheriff.

"I...I learned about some Chinese culture in a language class I took my first semester. I, um, I wanted to investigate further. Thought it might be nice to get away and take advantage of the abroad program."

"Was there something you wanted to get away from?"

"You shouldn't answer that," came Theo's voice again.

The werewolf paused, unsure of what to say. His heart began to race until _their_ faces flashed in his mind. "Liam?"

"In my senior year, two of my friends were killed. Run over." Agent Hewitt looked at him sympathetically for a moment. "Brett and Lori."

"I'm sorry." Liam looked at her before placing his eyes back on the corner of the desk where the front met the floor. "What was your residential situation like in Zhengzhou?"

"We each had host-families."

"We?"

"My, er, my classmates and I. There were six of us."

"Would you write down their names?"

Liam nodded. As he started to write, Theo spoke again. "She's building a case against you. She's gonna' return to Brett and Lori. You gave her a piece to build motive. Anguish. Escape. You need to stop."

"What was the name of your host family?"

"The Tingmao's. He and Liu."

"Was that the only family you stayed with?"

"No. The Kim's as well."

"Why the change?"

"Mrs. Tingmao's son unexpectedly returned from the navy. They needed the space. And one of my other classmates couldn't handle being away from home and had already left the country, so his host-family was kind enough to take me in."

"The Kim's?"

"Yes."

"How did you get along with the Kim's?"

"Pretty well."

"Only pretty well?"

"Liam, stop talking," Theo urged again.

"The grandfather was coarse and Jeremy's father was pretty cold. But his mom and grandmother were exceptional to me. Welcomed me all the time."

"You're speaking of Jeremy Kim?"

"Yes."

"I can smell the guilt," Theo said. "You might as well come right out and admit to murder. Confess on tape. Save us all the time. Otherwise. Shut. Up."

"I have a coroner's report concluding that Zhang Kim, the _grandfather_ as you put it, died of a heart attack within two weeks of your new residence with the family. I also have a police report indicating that Huizhong Kim, the _father_ , was killed by a hit and run only days later. And this," she continued, placing another bagged piece of paper on the desk beside her, "is a copy of an airline ticket from Zhengzhou to San Francisco purchased by Lena Kim, Huizhong's wife and Jeremy's mother, dated to a mere two days after her husband's death. She subsequently purchased a home in Beacon Hills." They simply exchanged looks for a moment. "Lena Kim has gone missing and Chinese authorities cannot locate An-Mei Kim, the late Zhang Kim's wife. Do you have any information pertaining to their whereabouts?" Liam looked away. "An-Mei Kim is not in the family apartment and there's no trace of a—damn."

"Special Agent," came an unfamiliar voice as the door opened behind Liam. "Mr. Hastings, representing young Mr. Dunbar here. Is he under arrest?"

"No, he's not."

"Then this interview's over." Liam and Agent Hewitt exchanged a look before the werewolf followed the older man out of the office. He and the sheriff exchanged a look before his friends and attorney exited the building. "Wait, what about Jeremy?" Liam said, turning to Mr. Hastings.

"If it comes to official charges, I'll represent both of you."

"So what, he just waits in there?"

"I was retained on your behalf, Mr. Dunbar, and like you, Mr. Kim is an adult and can leave when he pleases. They don't have a case right now. They're fishing."

"Fine," Liam muttered, looking away. As he did, far down in the parking lot, he spotted her. There, getting out of her car, was Mrs. Kim.

/ | * | * | \

"She was what?" Mason said from the back seat of Theo's truck.

"Dead," Theo answered.

"I still don't get it. You both saw it. She was up, walking around. Smiling. Driving!"

"But you didn't smell it," Liam said, looking back at his best friend.

"She smells like a corpse."

"Maybe she works in a morgue," Mason offered.

"She was a middle school teacher, Mason."

"Coroner's assistant?" the human tried.

"She's dead. Somehow...someway…" Liam started, turning to look at Theo.

"Don't look at me. I saw a lot of things. Zombies and dead people aren't really my sixth sense."

"Maybe this'll align with what Deaton's found," Liam said, turning his head again to look out the passenger's window.

"Beacon Hills…" Theo sighed, "what a place."

Theo parked, pulling into the lot before the animal clinic in a more sane and responsible fashion than he had last time. There, still seemingly loitering by the cars, was Corey, Nolan, and Hayden. "They cut you loose?" Liam's former girlfriend began.

"They were just questioning him," Mason said. "They didn't _actually_ arrest him," he continued, glaring at Theo as the three walked up to the others.

"Whatever," Theo said, crossing his arms. "It was your mom and you're his best friend. Seemed like you needed to handle it. I'm just here for moral support." Mason, Corey, and Hayden all simultaneously feigned coughing fits. "Screw each of you."

"Can we just go inside?" Liam said, unamused and unconvinced.

And so they did, Corey holding the door so they could each shuffle into the building. "Everything okay?" Dr. Deaton said, ushering them back.

"I think you should start," Liam replied. "Theo and I found something, too, but...well we're not really sure what to make of it yet."

"On to it, then," the druid said. "Before we begin, I should note that Jeremy should be here for this. Things would be clearer now that I have a theory."

"I can try and get him here tomorrow."

"Very well. As it were, I believe Jeremy is definitely a shapeshifter as we expected. Feline as indicative of the green eyes. However, if my suspicions are correct, he wasn't turned in the traditional way. The thing that you two have in common is an alpha," Deaton said, pointing to Liam and Hayden. "The alpha transmits a spark of power to you. With kitsune, it is believed that they are blessed with a spark of power by forces we don't quite understand. Kate, the only feline-type you've encountered so far, was turned by a nefarious spark of power. What each of these has in common is a relationship with the supernatural spark, whether it be a gift, a curse, or a blessing. What's different with Jeremy, however, is that he wasn't turned by a creature with two legs, rather with four."

"Four?" Mason said with blinking eyes.

"A cat, called a nekomata."

"I mean, there's an anime…" Corey added, confused along with the rest of them.

"Based on a legend, no doubt. Japanese mythology is filled with nefarious and mischievous spirits. In this case, the nekomata are large cats that can transform into humans. They dwell in the mountains. Abduct people and eat them. They have powers. Necromancy and—" Liam and Theo exchanged a look at the mention, "—a knack for starting mysterious fires. Worst of all, they're vengeful creatures. The more a cat is mistreated before becoming a nekomata, the more terrifying its powers will be after it transitions."

"So, it was Shun," Liam muttered.

"Shun?" Mason said.

"His cat. Jeremy's cat. That's what the other presence was."

"I never saw it," Theo added, "but I felt it in the house."

"It also explains the sudden deaths," Liam said, more to himself, his eyes squinting as his brain began to liven. "His grandparents. His parents."

"So, Jeremy is becoming a nekomata?" Nolan tried.

"Where myth and reality depart," Deaton began, "is where myth tells of a bakeneko, a less powerful nekomata or just a variation of the same. In reality, the truth is far more... _dire_."

"Great," Corey grumbled.

"What I've found is that a nekomata's vengeful nature is far more evil than simple revenge. It seeks to become human, but to do so requires more than it alone is capable of. It has to trade places."

"With Jeremy…" Liam answered the unspoken question.

"There are rules to this process, though, which is why I need to speak with your friend. We need to know how long this cat has been a nekomata. Otherwise, it may be too late."

"Because tonight's a full moon," Hayden submitted.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it took me so long with this; I hit plot snags sometimes. That said, Chapter 7 is well underway and I hope to post it and 8 next weekend. Thanks for re-tuning in!


	6. Used to be Enemies

The front door to the animal clinic burst open on its outward swing. Liam stormed out of the building ahead of everyone else, his eyes darting back and forth despite not actually looking at anything. _The cat. The fucking cat. She could still be—_

"Liam."

The hand on his shoulder pulled him back, pulled him out. He turned out, tearful, burning eyes shining blue. He could see all the faces of his friends, each of their eyes on his. He looked at the pair closest to him. Theo didn't say anything, but it almost seemed as if he didn't need to. And neither did Liam. They both knew.

"We…" Liam began, shaking his head, hoping to regain control of his eyes. He wiped the back of his hand over them, gathering up the building tears beneath them. "We, uh, we need to…" He shook his head again and dug out his phone. He found Jeremy's contact, tapped at it, and brought the device to his ear. He turned away, no longer able to withstand the worried expressions on their faces.

"I'm sorry," began the auto-message, "you've reached the voicemail box of—"

"Fuck!"

"Hey, hey, hey," Hayden started, stepping before him to grip his arms. "Breathe. Close your eyes and breathe." He looked at her, his emotions mixing until he glanced over at Theo, the chimera shifting before he complied. "Good. Take another deep breath." He breathed in to where his chest strained, letting it out slowly. "It's okay."

 _Bzz bzz_.

Hayden let go of her ex-boyfriend's hand so he could look at the text.

// Can't talk right now. Sister's coming in from Chicago. Call later? //

"I...we need to go over there," Liam started. "Warn him. His sister's coming and—"

_Bz bz bz bz bz._

"Shit," Liam exclaimed after reexamining his screen, bringing his cell up to his ear again. "Hey, I'm on my—" Liam paused, the coloration on his face dimming. "I'm sorry. I'm coming home." Liam dropped his hand from his ear. "I...I need to get out of here."

"I'll drive you," Theo said, jerking his head towards the truck.

Some looks were exchanged, each of them unnoticed by the proxy alpha. "Will you guys, somehow, keep a watch on the house? I...I...just figure something out. I have to…" Liam's feet seemed to operate robotically, much in line with the numbness coursing through his mind.

/ | * | * | \

Liam and Theo walked up to the front of the Geyer household as silently as the drive had been. There, behind the screen door, was Aunt Jayna, arms crossed yet expression sympathetic. She opened the door for them quickly, eyes falling on Theo. "You really shouldn't be here. This might get...family."

"I can head out," Theo offered.

"No," Liam reacted quickly. "Just...okay. Yeah. I'll see you." The werewolf turned his back on him, his mind in too many places to keep up. Jayna and Theo exchanged a look before the chimera walked back outside and the former closed the front door behind him.

"Where have you been?" Mrs. Geyer said, walking down the hall from the kitchen. Liam froze, not having seen his mother look this way for a long time. _Not since coach's car…_ "Are you okay?" Liam nodded before she pulled him into a hug, his gaze almost forced to look down the corridor to see his stepfather. "You need to talk to us. Right now. So we can help you." He still didn't know what to say. He'd been fighting those words for so long. Stiles' words. _"It's always been better when they know._ " For years he's kept it from them. To prevent them from looking at him that way. Again. But now… "You're my son. _My_ baby boy. I want to help you. But, Liam, you have to help us help you."

He looked at her. Her expression had changed. Calmed. Smoothed over. Maybe he could. "Okay." She nodded, bunching her lips warmly before leading him over to the love seat. Mark and his sister followed after, sitting on the couch perpendicular to them. Pamela took her son's hand into her own, not once taking her eyes off his despite his inability to look back at her. "Something…" he tried, his mouth immediately drying up, his body tensing up more than it had already.

"It's alright, son," Mark offered, "just start at the beginning."

Liam looked over at his stepdad, trying to find the courage somewhere. He glanced at his favorite aunt, the woman nodding at him when their eyes met. The hand holding his squeezed encouragingly. He nodded, again looking down, though. "Something...when I was in China." He paused. "No, when I was...when I started at Beacon Hills…"

"Liam, you're not making any sense," Pamela said.

"I...something happened to me, mom," he said, his eyes looking up at her just his cheeks began to cover in tears.

"Honey, tell me. What's going on with you?"

"At the hospital, after I—" _"Make stop. … Time now. … Please."_ "—I...I can't do this." He jerked his hand from his mother's and rushed forward. Anywhere. He was wrenching open the door, a claw digging into the paint and the fake wood. He was outside, on the lawn. Running. The street. A car almost hit him. He was making for the woods.

Unregistering in the distance was a voice. "Liam? Liam!?" A pause. "I got him!"

His vision reddened and tunnelled. The full moon was barely in the sky, not yet a burst of lunar reflection as the sun hadn't quite neared dusk in the east. He found himself, in a brief moment of self-awareness, slashing at a tree. It had been a sting of pain from the tip of his forefinger that had pulled him out, only until the memories returned. Her voice. Her smell. The loom of death and pain and suffering. Of peace. The feeling of driving his claws into her chest. How cold and warm flesh felt just before the hot blood rushed out. How she smiled at him as he granted her final wish. How he cried and yelled and screamed, just as he was before that tree. How he loathed her. How he loathed himself, making the cycle of memories repeat on the reel in his mind.

"Liam!"

The werewolf turned, his transformed state turning to his yellow-eyed addresser. Only before his red shuttered to black.

/ | * | * | \

Liam woke to that shin again, at least, so his brain informed him upon first stirring. His senses took a second assessment and realized there were a number of physical sensations, not just one. His neck was cramped from the thick arm pushed under it as he lay on his side. This led him to the next, where he felt that arm keeping him swaddled with the help of the one underneath his own topside arm. Then there was the chest pressed right up against his back, adding to the realization that he himself was shirtless, accentuated by the subtle movement of the encasing arm that brushed against his chest hair. That tickle, though, wasn't what made him shudder. Instead, it was the breath that ghosted the outside of his ear. Which led him to the final sensation, one that added a little without his own volition. He tried to roll away in the direction of his bedroom door, attempting to roll out of the embrace and the bare foot notched against his own. However, that attuned him to the stiff heat pressing against his bum, one which instantly made him blush.

"Nngh," Theo grunted behind him, still sound asleep. His arm wrapped over Liam began to slide off as he rolled onto his back, giving the werewolf his opening.

Liam pushed off the bed onto his feet and turned, eyeing the undisturbed chimera in his bed. His eyes inadvertently glanced down the boy's body and immediately looked away towards his bathroom. He took a deep breath and looked back towards Theo. His face was calm, not a single inch of it taut or stressed. He looked at the clock, the red faint lights reading 7:00AM. He looked back at Theo and then back down again. The chimera was still hard, and that made him stir. Liam rushed into the bathroom and closed the door, watching in horror as his boxers stirred and moved on their own. He looked up into the mirror, his breath picking up.

"Liam?" came a grumbled voice. The beta leaned over and threw water on his face before once again looking into the mirror. "Oh," he heard. "Um, sorry, it's just...mornings, y'know." When Liam didn't answer. "You alright?"

"I'm fine," Liam snapped. He waited until the stirring ceased before walking back out into his own bedroom.

"How's your head?" Theo said, now sitting up with his legs dangling over the side.

Liam rubbed at his skull, not sure of what he was referring to until his hand actually moved over a dull pain on his forehead. "What happened?"

"You lost it last night. Well, evening."

"You knocked me out again, didn't you?" Theo shrugged. "I don't really remember what happened. After meeting with Deaton...it's a little fuzzy."

"You let it get to you," Theo said, standing up, stretching and arching before crossing his arms at him. "Jeremy. The cat. Your parents. China. You're letting it weigh on you and with the full moon, you freaked out." Liam looked away. "Scott left you in charge. That's a lot, especially from him. He believes in you, and he should." Liam looked up at him. "But something happened to you, something you need to work through. If you don't, your friends might get hurt. They're counting on you. They look to you for decisions. If Monroe came back tomorrow, they'd need you more than ever." There was a pause between them. "Sorry."

"Yeah. Okay." Liam turned and walked back into the bathroom, stepping up to the window on the far end and just bracing his arms against the sill. He didn't cry. He didn't scream. He simply breathed, letting the morning light and sounds penetrate his senses.

"You can do this."

"I still don't understand you."

"You can be pretty dense. It's understandable."

Liam smiled and turned around, resting his back against the window sill. "Thank you." Theo shrugged. "So, if I'm piecing things together correctly, you dragged me back to my house after knocking me out?"

"Carried, but sure."

Liam felt his body stir a little. "And my parents?"

Theo moved to the foot of the bed and sat back down. "They're a little shaken." Liam dropped his smile. "When you ran out last night, your dad saw your eyes. And they've seen the scrape on the door."

"Shit."

"Your Aunt Jayna and I talked after I brought you back. Apparently she calmed them down enough. She thinks it should come from you. I offered, but she's probably right. I can be there...if you want."

"We should get dressed then." He hurried out of the bathroom and stopped at the precipice. "I...fuck."

"Hey, look at me." Liam complied. "One step at a time, alright?"

Liam nodded, aware of the trust he was starting to feel towards the chimera. "I'm gonna' shower first. You should, too. You've been wearing the same clothes for two days."

"I mean if you're inviting," Theo said, teasing with a toothy smile.

"Across the hall, asshole." …

Liam emerged from his hot shower with a towel around his waist, only to see Theo sitting on his bed exactly the same way. "This feels like a porno," Theo said, looking the werewolf up and down.

"It shouldn't," Liam said, crouching down in front of his dresser. "If it was, I actually would've invited you in with me."

"Erotica then."

"Fuck's sake," Liam grumbled.

"Two nights in a row in your bed. We're both practically naked. I'm about to wear your clothes. It's like you're trying to tell me something."

"It wasn't my boner pushing into your ass."

"Mmhm."

"Here, just shut up already." Liam flung a pair of boxers at the other, followed by a roll of socks, a shirt, and basketball shorts. The werewolf stood, the tie in the towel coming loose and falling too quickly to the ground, earning a whistle from the chimera when his eyes grazed over his backside. "I really do hate you."

"I know," Theo replied as Liam slipped into his own pair of boxer shorts. They began to dress, Liam with his back to Theo the whole time when the latter spoke up. "Um, Liam."

"Hm?" the werewolf grunted, turning around to see a very shirtless and sculpted Theo holding the shirt he'd given him off to the side.

"What is this?"

"A Korn shirt?"

"I see that. Why did you give it to me?"

"To borrow? And wear? What's wrong with Korn? They were the first concert I went to."

"What else ya' got?" …

"I don't believe Queen is the only other band shirt you have," Theo whispered, straightening the black shirt over his waistband as they made their way downstairs.

"You shouldn't," Liam said, grinning until he spotted Jayna sitting in the living room, watching them with an easy smile of her own.

"Morning, boys," she said, looking at Liam before patting the cushion next to her. Liam took the seat, Theo leaning over the back of the couch. "How you feeling?"

"I'm alright," Liam said. "Are you—"

"Oh, I'm fine," she said. "Your parents, however."

"Are they still freaked out?"

"Somewhere between that and alarmed."

"Where are they?"

"Your mom's out gardening and my brother ran up to the hardware store."

"You haven't told them anything?" Jayna shook her head. He leaned forward and placed his face in his hands, elbows resting on his knees. "This is exactly what I didn't want to happen."

"Liam," Theo said.

No more needed to be said; Liam got the message. "Do you know when dad's gonna' be back?"

"No," Jayna answered, "but he's been gone for 20 minutes already."

"Did I scare them?" Liam said after a minute.

"Not really? Your dad maybe. I'm not sure."

"Did I scare you?"

She smiled at him and took his hand, forcing him to look into the room again. "No, you didn't."

"I'm sorry."

"You should thank your friend. If he'd actually gone home, who knows where we'd be today."

Liam looked over at Theo. They exchanged a look, Liam not able to utter the words, but his chemo-signals spoke quite highly of the chimera. Theo just nodded at Liam and it was clear even to Jayna that something had passed between them. "Well, all I'll say is that you'd make a great son-in-law, Theo." Both of them reddened. Liam buried his face again and Theo pushed off the couch and sauntered towards the kitchen. She laughed, patting Liam's leg just as keys jingled outside the front door.

"Oh, you're up," Dr. Geyer said, a bag of gardening soil under one arm and a plastic bag in-hand in the other. "Um, where's your mother?"

"She's outback," Liam said warily. Mark nodded at him and hastily made his way towards the kitchen and ultimately the back door.

"It can't be any worse than Scott coming out," Theo said when the door closed. "His mom was locked in a jail cell after being locked in at gunpoint."

"Not. Helping," Liam gritted through his teeth.

"What kinda' trouble have you boys been in?" Jayna asked.

"Enough," Liam replied. The back door opened again and Dr. Geyer returned with his wife. Theo moved to sit on the armrest next to Jayna, allowing Liam to be close to his parents when they finally took their seats on the sofa. Surprisingly, they both looked right at Liam, seemingly unafraid of what he might say or might be. "I'm...I'm sorry about last night." Neither of them really moved, though it was clear Pamela was having a much harder time with this than her husband. "When I...dad, do you remember when I was brought into the hospital? For my ankle? After lacrosse tryouts?" He nodded, sitting back a little and rubbing his wife's back. "I...something happened to me that night. And...what I'm about to tell you is gonna' sound crazy, but I can prove it and...okay." He took a deep breath and looked down. "I...that night I was turned into a werewolf." He waited. He was expecting confusion or hatred or disgust. But from his mom, he felt pity.

"Liam, honey, your IED—" she tried.

"Mom, it's not, I swear."

"You're sick. Don't think I haven't noticed that you stopped taking your risperdal."

"Pam," Mark said, moving his hand from her back to take hers. "Let's hear him out."

Liam and his stepfather exchanged a look before the younger man proceeded. "That night, I got taken to the roof. Someone attacked me. Attacked Scott's mom. But, it was me that ended up there and...he threw me over the side. And Scott, he caught me. But, he couldn't keep hold and fight at the same time and...he ended up biting me. He's a werewolf, too, like me. And there's rules, and some crazy things have happened."

"Liam, I think you—"

"Mom," Liam said, looking at her with conviction. "Just, watch." He closed his eyes and took another breath. When he opened them, returning his gaze to hers, he let his naturally blue eyes start to glow. Her mouth started open in awe. He dimmed them and held out his hand. She watched at his nails turned to claws and the hair on his arms slightly thickened. He shook them out when she looked back up again. "I don't...I don't wanna' show you all the way, but it's real. And Theo, here, he's kinda' one, too." He looked back at his friend and Theo let his eyes shine yellow. "I'm sorry I kept it from you. It just...it happened so soon after I got kicked out and...I didn't know how."

"Hey," Mark said, reaching his hand out so Liam could take it. "I've seen things at the hospital, things I can't explain, the least of which is how that purple ankle healed overnight. I'm glad you told us, son." Liam looked to his mother. She reached out and took his other hand just as she started to cry.

"About yesterday, with the FBI, um, something did happen in China. It...my eyes were yellow, too, like his. But, I don't know that I can tell you. Not right now."

"Are you in trouble?" Pamela asked.

"No, I'm not," Liam said, Theo hearing the tick in his heartbeat.

/ | * | * | \

Dr. Geyer closed the door quietly after giving Liam a hug, his being the last of three. The werewolf followed Liam out to the truck parked across the street. When they got to the driver's side the chimera turned around. "You should be proud of yourself." Liam looked away. "I am." Liam looked back at him. "You struggled, but you fought through it. Really, you showed a level of bravery just now."

"I lied to them, though."

"So? They didn't need to know. Not right now. You made the right call."

"Says the devil."

"Yes, says, the devil. Who's also proud of you," Theo said, pulling Liam in for a hug by his shoulder.

"I'm exhausted," Liam grumbled, his chin caught atop the older boy's shoulder.

"I can imagine." Theo pulled back and looked right into Liam's eyes. "But right now, let's say we go kill that fucking cat," he said with a grin. The younger boy nodded with his own smirk. Theo turned, facing and unlocking his car, when he was pulled around by his shoulder and found Liam's lips pressing against his.


	7. The Hunted

When Theo turned onto Jeremy's street, Liam finally smiled. He'd been looking out the passenger's window the whole ride, neither of them saying a word. Instead of being nervous about capturing and potentially fighting a supernatural cat, he was giddy. _He kissed me back_. Within seconds they pulled up behind two parked cars across the street from the Kim's house. As they came to a halt, Mason, Corey, and Nolan exited the former's car and Hayden from her own. The two boys exited the truck and walked up to their friends.

"All's been peaceful here. Everything good with you?" Nolan asked first of his former co-captain.

"Yeah," Liam said, still smiling.

"You seem better," Mason said, smiling back at his best friend.

"I am better," Liam replied. "Things are working out."

"You seem...excited," Hayden said, taking another blink of her eyes as she assessed his chemo-signal.

The werewolf shrugged. "I'm ready to be done with this. We know what we're up against now. All we need is to set things in motion."

"It sounds like you have a plan," Nolan said.

"I do," he said, smiling sinisterly. "I'm gonna' go in, smoke it out. Hayden, you wait up front. You're fast so you can chase it down. Theo, you'll go to the back; do the same. I assume you can still transform into a coyote?"

"I retained that, yeah," the chimera said.

"Corey, you'll wait in the car, stay invisible. Run it down if need be."

"Just don't hit me," Hayden added.

"Nolan, you'll come in with me. Secure his sister." His former enemy nodded, pulling his lacrosse stick out from the foot of the car. "And Mason—"

"Oh, I'm on it," his best friend said, holding up a large white bag filled with a black powdery substance.

"Let's do this, then," Liam said. He and Theo exchanged a look before the chimera took off towards the backyard of one of the neighbors, planning to sneak around the back under cover of the woods. Liam started for the front of the house, Hayden scooting up next to him while Nolan followed behind.

"Can we talk after this?" she asked him.

"Um, yeah, I guess."

"Just...I know after the Hunt...okay."

"Okay."

Hayden stopped, crouching down on the front lawn, watching as Nolan passed her. The two boys moved to the front door as Mason slowly moved around the house, having already passed in front of the former chimera in the front. Liam pulled out his phone and typed a message into it just before ringing the bell.

"Hey," Jeremy said, only cracking open the screen door. "Um, my sister's here so now's not—" He stopped upon seeing the outheld screen.

/ You're in danger /

He looked at Liam, then to Nolan, and then to Hayden. "Yeah, sure, come on in."

"We won't be here long," Liam said. "I just thought I'd say hi to your mom. I haven't seen her since we've been back."

"Right," Jeremy said, playing along. He led them down the hall and off to the right, scratching at his hip before finding his mother and an unfamiliar face in the family room. Nolan hung back at the corner of the room, concealing his lacrosse stick behind the wall.

"Hi, Mrs. Kim," Liam said, smiling apprehensively at her.

"Liam, how wonderful to see you," she said, something minutely off apart from the consistent smell of rotting. Nolan's nose twitched, even his human nose picking up on the powerful smell of perfume and odor suppressants.

"This is, uh, my friend Nolan," Liam introduced.

"And this is my older sister Nena," Jeremy said, the _living_ girl waving at the pair.

"Where's Shun?" Liam said, patting Jeremy's back and squeezing tightly at his shirt.

"Oh, he ran off a second ago. You know how he spazzes out sometimes."

"Oh, I do," Liam confirmed.

_Bzz bzz._

Liam looked at the message from Mason.

/ Almost there /

"So, Mrs. Kim, did you tell Jeremy what happened after you left for Beacon Hills?" Liam said, earning a wide-eyed look from his newer compatriot.

"Something good, I hope," Nena said, looking at her brother.

"I…" Jeremy stuttered.

"Your mother-in-law died," Liam answered.

"How—" Nena started.

"She was poisoned," Liam supplied. "I don't know if you were already under its sway," he continued, looking right at the dead woman, "or if this happened after, but she's dead."

"Liam," Jeremy said. "Stop."

"You need to leave," Nena added, standing. As she did, Lena Kim pushed her daughter hard, sending her on a collision with the corner of the coffee table; she would have smacked her forehead on that edge had it not been for Liam's dive. In a continuous motion, the dead woman charged her son, shoving him before making for the back door, Nolan freezing for a second too long to intercept her as she ran outside. Upstairs, they heard a window shatter and then a howl.

"It's running!" they could hear Hayden yell from out front. "Shit!"

Nolan helped Jeremy to his feet while Nena and Liam slowly got to theirs.

"I got the mom!" Theo yelled.

"What the hell, Liam!?" Jeremy screamed, Nolan forced to hold him back from attempting to deck the werewolf.

"It's your fucking cat!" Liam yelled. "It's behind everything!"

"What!?" Jeremy yelled back defensively.

"Deaton called it a nekomata," Nolan injected.

"Are you both mad?" Nena yelled, coming up next to Liam and slapping him.

In turn, Liam turned and glared back at her, however, with his shining blues. "He knows what you are, too," Nolan said to Jeremy as his sister backed away slowly. "He said you're becoming a bakeneko, that you're both connected."

"He's swapping places with you," Liam said. "He wants to steal your body."

"Liam," the werewolf heard. He turned and saw a very naked Theo standing on the edge of the woods. In his arms was a very limp and seemingly lifeless Lena Kim.

"Stay here. Do _not_ follow me out back," Liam warned them both. "Actually, take them to the stairs," Liam said to Nolan. His former co-captain nodded, looking at the siblings before they reluctantly followed. Liam slipped outside and gathered up Theo's discarded clothing after having transformed. Theo gently placed the woman's body down in time for the werewolf to come up to him, averting his eyes all the while.

"Thanks," the chimera said, leaning forward and planting a kiss on Liam's cheek, earning a blush from the werewolf. He slipped into his clothes and shoes and looked down at what had been Jeremy's mother. "When I got close to her, she looked back at me and just crumpled to the ground."

"Just like that?"

"Just like that. I didn't touch her until after." Theo crouched down and pointed. "Here, there's a slash mark across her neck. It was covered up by makeup; you can see some of the caking smudged off. I think that's what killed her." Theo paused. "It's a big gash. The spread of the claws is the size of a human's."

"So it's already bipedal then. Shit."

"Mom? Mama!?" They both turned to look and found Nena Kim running towards them, Nolan running out after her. Mason came running down from the side, Jeremy after him. "You killed her!"

"Shhh," Theo tried, looking left and right for any nosey neighbors. "She was already dead." Nena pulled out her phone, crying as she tried to dial 911. "I don't think so," Theo said, glaring at her as he tore the phone out of her hands. "They already think your brother's involved. You want him to go to jail?" he said, getting in her face. Liam grabbed lightly at his shoulder before Jeremy arrived and took his sister into his arms. "She went missing. For two days. And suddenly, out of the blue, she shows up yesterday. She acted like nothing happened right?" he accused the bakeneko. Jeremy didn't answer, but he didn't have to. "Your little _pet_ , it has powers."

"Fire being one of them," Hayden said, appearing from the side of the house with Corey, one of her sleeves missing and the skin on her upper arm slightly blackened. "We lost it."

"Who are you people?" Nena asked, glaring at Theo.

"Protectors," Liam affirmed, looking out around his friends. "A lot of bad things happen here. Supernatural things. We fight them off. Protect this town. Each other."

"He's a werewolf, Nena," Jeremy said to her, putting a few inches between them. "And I...I guess I'm something, too. But Liam...I promise he's good...he ended grandma's pain." Liam turned around, unable to look at anyone, though he could feel the gazes upon him. "She was suffering. For weeks. And we couldn't take her in...with grandpa and papa, they might've arrested us. We already knew she was poisoned and...he helped her."

"Liam…" Mason said, sympathy pouring from him.

Theo patted the werewolf's shoulder. "We need to get the body to Deaton," he said, looking at Mason. "And you," he continued, gaze switching to Jeremy, "you need to come with us. He's got some questions for you. Some you'll want answered."

/ | * | * | \

"Your surmise happens to be correct," Deaton said, looking up above the top of his glasses at Theo. He looked back down to continue inspecting the gash across Lena Kim's throat. "I'll run a DNA test, but it's not too soon to say that the nekomata did in fact carry out this attack."

"I still can't believe this," Jeremy said, his voice strained from the aftermath of sobbing all the way to the clinic. He stroked at his mother's hair, her eyes gracefully closed.

Liam placed his hand on the boy's shoulder, feeling quite sick himself. "You'll get through this," he said, looking around the room, each of his friends empathizing with this tragedy, imagining someone they loved in this very position.

"To ensure that your future gets brighter," Deaton began, "I need to ask you some things, some of which might sound accusatory but I assure you, they are not."

"Okay," Jeremy said.

"Have you ever noticed anything peculiar with your cat? Especially in the last several months?"

"No, not really." As he paused, his expression scrunched. "Well, maybe?" He paused again, thinking back. "There were a couple days where I could've sworn he was missing his tail. Like, there was just a nub. Like it got cut off or something."

"Jeremy, he _doesn't_ have a tail," Liam confirmed.

"What?"

"He doesn't. He never did, at least not since I've seen him."

"That's...he has a tail!"

"Jeremy," Nena started, having entered the back room finally, her makeup disastrous from the amount of crying she'd done. "He doesn't."

"How long ago was this?" Deaton asked.

"I don't know."

"Try to remember. It's very important."

"I mean, I came to stay with him just under three months ago," Liam tried.

"A little before that then?" Jeremy said.

"So, possibly four full moons ago," Deaton stated rather than asked.

"How is that—"

"This transitionary phase has rules, and like many shapeshifters, these rules revolve around the lunar cycle. If Shun has been a nekomata for four full moons, you have less than 15 days to find him and stop him before he becomes a human and you become a cat." The color in Jeremy's face drained completely. "If not, you have a month and 15 days, as yesterday was just a full moon. But, there should be a way to determine where you are with this transition. Have you noticed anything strange physiologically? Vision. Reflexes. Any physical signs?"

"I mean, I don't think so."

"Are you sure?" Liam asked.

"Like, where would I even start?" he said, right before lifting up the front of his shirt.

"What's that?" Hayden said, pointing to the side of the exposure.

Jeremy lifted his shirt up more and to his shock the sides of his abdomen were covered in thick black hair, almost thick enough to start forming a pelt. "No...no, no, no…" He looked up in horror at Liam.

"This isn't new," Deaton said, removing his gloves. "May I?" Jeremy looked from his friend to the veterinarian, the horror remaining as he slowly nodded. "Try and keep breathing," the druid reassured. He tugged back up on Jeremy's shirt, who took it and lifted it as high up as possible, taking to looking at the ceiling in disbelief. "None of you were involved with Scott when the kanima incident happened. When the first time Gerard tried to start a war." He looked up at them from examining the thick almost-fur before straightening up and patting Jeremy's elbow. "The kanima had a master. Better, Matt was controlling Jackson. They attacked the sheriff's station. Matt was on a quest for vengeance, but he broke the rules that go along with being a kanima master. He started exhibiting signs of becoming what he utilized. He started becoming a kanima himself. Stiles told me his side was covered in scales, the very same that the kanima's body was covered in. In your situation, Jeremy, this is unfortunately part of the rules. More importantly, you have until the new moon to prevent this from taking control of your body."

"This is crazy," Nena said, throwing her arms up erratically as she walked back out of the room.

"It's too much," Jeremy said, still pale and in a state of shock.

"We're gonna' help you," Liam assured him. "All of us," he said, looking around the room at his friends. "Whatever it takes."

/ | * | * | \

He parked his truck in the same spot as every time before. It'd been some time, but once again it called. He got out, leaving the engine and the lights on. He walked around the back and gently retrieved her body. He didn't know her name. He wasn't even really aware of what he was doing, though unlike the past, he would remember in the morning. Holding her bridal-style, he walked barefoot on the branch, pine, and debris-covered ground of the reserve. He walked into the treeline, past its shallow barrier, and up to the large center of his world.

The nemeton.

He stepped up to it, placing her lightly on its center before stepping up. He sat, crossing his legs and letting his eyes burn orange as flames burst from his body, circumambulating the stump in an homage to the sacred force. The body began to scorch, forcing him to bury his face in his hands once again. The flames would do their job, but the duty that called him became no less taxing each time. Their faces would haunt him until his final day.


	8. The Demi-Human

"I think Mason's mad I didn't wanna' ride with him," Liam said, tossing his phone back and forth between his hands in his lap.

"Not to mention Hayden," Theo added with a smirk.

"Yes, Hayden," Liam said, exasperated as he let his head fall back against the head-rest. "Shit."

"What're you gonna' do about her?"

"I have no idea. She 'wants to talk.'"

"What're you gonna' do about me?" Theo said, looking over at the werewolf in the passenger's seat with a grin.

"Nothing if you don't keep your eyes on the road. We're going up a mountain." The chimera turned away, his grin remaining. Liam looked back at Jeremy, noticing he hadn't stopped staring out his window, let alone blinked the entire time he watched him.

"He's not even paying attention," Theo said, bumping his elbow playfully into Liam's.

"I know, but still."

"I'm not gonna' hide being with…shit."

"Emotions too real for you?" Liam said, looking at the driver.

"Fuck you."

Liam smirked, looking back at the side-door mirror, watching as Nolan drove them carefully behind the blue 4x4. "I'm not gonna' hide being with you, either. I just need to…" He breathed in deeply. "I need to pace it. Time it. They still hate you. Well, they do," he said, enunciating with a thumb yanked in the red car's direction.

"And Stiles."

"And Stiles."

"And Malia."

" _And_ Malia." Liam paused. "Especially Malia," he grumbled.

"Probably Kira, too."

There was a silence that followed her name. Eventually, Liam rubbed his hand up his forehead and into his hair. "Shit."

/ | * | * | \

"You still feel his presence?" Mason asked as they each got out of the vehicles.

"Yeah," Jeremy replied.

"Which way?" Nolan said, opening the trunk.

"This way," the bakeneko said, pointing more west.

"It's away from the nemeton," Liam remarked as Nolan handed Mason his bat before retrieving his crossbow.

"Do you think that means something?" Hayden asked.

"Not sure." The werewolf looked at his disheveled friend. "Lead the way." …

"How're you holding up?" Mason said, looking at his best friend walking next to him.

"I'm alright. I guess."

"Are you?"

Liam shrugged. "It's...I feel different. Like a piece of me is missing."

"I think you'll always feel different," Mason said. "You just need to find a way to live with it. Bare it in a way that it doesn't affect you the way it does now."

"I feel sick. All the time." Mason looked at him again, studying his friend's pensive face. "I see her. Feel it. Smell it. It triggers me."

"Like your eyes are right now." Liam looked away, trying to make the glowing blues disappear. "You need to find an anchor. Something powerful enough to balance out your pain."

"When did you get so...werewolf-geru?"

Mason laughed. "Just consider me your Obi-Wan."

"My what?"

"You're in college, Liam. It's time to watch _Star Wars_." Liam just grinned innocently at him, forcing Mason to shake his head. "How can you even argue sci-fi if you haven't even seen _Star Wars_? I mean, that's like violating the laws of physics."

"It's really not that devastating," Corey said, popping next to his boyfriend.

"You have no room to talk, Mr. I haven't seen _Lord of the Rings_."

"They're too long," the chimera said. "I always have to pee."

"Discipline. And dedication."

"I haven't seen them either," Liam added.

"How am I friends with either of you?"

"Hopefully we're more than just friends," Corey said, slipping his hand around the back of Mason's neck and caressing _that_ spot.

"Yes," Mason said through his shudder, "yes, we are."

"Aaand get a room," Liam said, tapering off from the two, finding himself next to Nolan. "Is this weird for you?"

"Is what weird?"

"Hunting with people you used to hunt?"

Nolan laughed nervously. "Yeah, a little." He looked down at his crossbow, and then back up at Liam. "I'm sorry. About what happened with Monroe."

"We've been over this."

"Still." He looked ahead, eyes landing on Jeremy's back, who was still leading them deeper into the preserve. "And I'm sorry about what happened to you. In China."

"Thanks," Liam said more quietly.

"I was in the room when they turned off my mom's machine," Nolan admitted. "I was too young to understand why my dad wasn't just sad, but angry, too. Now, though, I get it. I don't wish that on anyone." Liam didn't respond, feeling that swell within him once again. "He didn't have anyone to lean on. You do. We're here for you. All of us," he said, looking at Theo. Liam smiled, picking up on the unspoken words between them. Nolan lightly nudged his former co-captain, earning a slight laugh from him, too.

/ | * | * | \

"Stop," Jeremy said.

"I smell him, too," Liam said. "It's faint, but…"

"Shun!" Jeremy yelled out.

There was a ruffle near a distant tree. "Idiot," Theo muttered.

"You don't have to be afraid!"

"Goood...k...kitty…" came a crackling croak. Nolan raised his crossbow to eye level as Liam, Theo, and Hayden extended their claws.

"That's right. Good kitty."

"H-How's...my b...buddy…" it croaked again.

"Yeah. That's my Shun. Come on out."

"Stu...stupid c-cat…" They came close enough to see a large, four-foot, black, cat-like humanoid perched on top of a tree, glaring down at them with its yellow eyes. "In the way...always…"

"My dad," Jeremy muttered.

Nolan pointed the crossbow in its direction. Shun hissed at him before launching a burst of fire from its mouth at them. They scattered, Liam tackling Nolan to the ground and Corey doing the same for Mason. It was on the ground before any of them could get to their feet, running from them. Nolan rolled on top of Liam and fired, catching it in the calf of its leg. It yelped as it dropped to the ground.

"Go!" Liam yelled, trading looks with Theo. He darted forward, Hayden hot on his feet. As Liam made his way vertical, he watched as Shun yanked out the bolt and speared Hayden to the ground. Theo caught the fatal swipe it made intended towards her but received a headbutt in the process. Liam charged forward, ready to launch himself when it blasted another torrent of fire in his direction. He slid down, skidding across the dirt like a baseball player to avoid the heat. It rushed at him when Nolan fired another arrow, landing a bolt in its shoulder. It hissed at the young hunter.

"Hey!" Theo yelled, winding up to slash at its throat again. Only, when it turned, it blasted another flame and seared his hand before taking off away from the pack, faster than any of them expected. "Agghhhhhhh!" Theo cried, crumpling to floor, holding his blackened clenching hand up by his wrist.

"Theo!" Liam yelled, getting to his feet and dashing over to the chimera. "Shit."

"Go...after him…" Theo grimaced.

"No, we're getting you out of here. C'mon," Liam insisted, helping the older boy to his feet. He wrapped Theo's arm around his shoulders, resting a hand around his back as they started moving back towards the cars. Mason had to pat Jeremy's shoulder to get him to follow them. Hayden and Corey watched the thumb on Theo's back move affectionately before exchanging a look.

/ | * | * | \

"Fuck!" Theo yelled from the backseat.

"Sorry, sorry," Liam bumbled, sitting next to him. "I just wanted to see it."

"Use your fucking eyes then, ahh."

"We're almost there," Corey said, driving Theo's truck despite his former-alpha's protests.

"I just need...nugh...need time. To heal. Deaton's not gonna' be able to—"

"We're not going to the clinic," Liam said. "We're going to the hospital."

"Not there…" Theo said, looking into Liam's face with fear. "Just drive me home."

"My dad's working," the werewolf offered. "He'll look at it. Promise."

"Liam," Corey said, looking back at them in the rear-view mirror, "try and heal him. When I got burned by Parrish, Malia had to take some pain away before the healing could kick in."

"I've tried that," Liam retorted. "I think…" He looked away. "I think what happened...overseas...it's affecting me."

"Because you're still hanging onto it?" the driver asked.

"Maybe." He looked at Theo's hand. "Yeah."

"Kiss me, then," Theo said, looking desperately at the boy next to him, stunning both the werewolf and the chimera in the front. "When Hayden was dying because of the Dread Doctors, you kissed her. In this very spot actually," he said with a devilish smirk.

"I don't think Liam swings that—oh wow…"


	9. It Was Always Going To End This Way

"I'm sorry, what?" Dr. Geyer said, eyeing his stepson.

"A deep fryer. He slipped at work and caught his hand in the grease."

"And where do you work, Theo," Dr. Geyer asked, calling the bluff, "seeing as you're not wearing any obvious work attire?"

The chimera turned to glare at the werewolf sitting next to his bed. "You're a terrible liar. I told you this was a bad idea. Hot grease doesn't even char your skin. Nngh, shit that hurts."

"He's right," Liam's stepdad said, returning his focus back to the propped-up hand in front of him. He was covering the now-less-blackened skin with an ointment, one which made Theo both squirm and sigh in relief.

"Well yours wasn't any better!" Liam exclaimed.

"Well yours still sucked—"

"Guys." Dr. Geyer looked between them. "How about the truth?"

"Dad—"

"After what you told us this morning, I'm not sure why you needed to revert to lying to us again."

"I wasn't...I'm not Scott," Liam said, looking at his stepdad.

"Of course you're not."

"I mean…" He looked away again. "I mean, Scott can just tell his mom 'werewolf business' and she understands. We're not there yet. And I...I don't wanna' scare you."

"Hey, look at me," Dr. Geyer said, putting the tube of cream down on the suture-table. Liam complied, though warily. "I'm already scared, as is your mother." Liam started to look away again. "No, no. Hey. But that's nothing new. Parents are...we're always scared. Yes, you have some things that are going to worry us even more now, but it's not because we're fearful of you. We love you and that's what makes us scared. And I think, going forward, the most you can tell us without, I guess, going over our heads, the better. It'll alleviate some of our fear and it'll help us help you."

"Okay. Sure." Liam paused, looking at Theo who looked back at him. He turned to his father, took a deep breath and thought carefully about his first words. "We were chasing a superhuman cat who's trying to steal my friend's body, and in the process it attacked Theo and scorched his hand." With his unmarred hand, Theo smacked it into his forehead.

"Right," Dr. Geyer said, pulling off his blue gloves and tossing them on the suture stand. "Theo, you're done for now. I might be in surgery, or in therapy, but I'll send someone to look at your hand in an hour or so."

"You probably won't need to," Theo admitted.

"Right. Super healing or something," the man said, getting up and walking to the door.

"Thanks, dad," Liam called after him as he left the room.

"You're an idiot," Theo said, dislodging his hand from the brace that kept it vertical. Liam shrugged, sitting back in his chair and crossing his arms. "Deep fryer?"

"Tanning bed accident?"

"I was kidding." Liam pouted, looking away from the chimera.

"When did my son start dating boys?" Liam heard from out in the hall.

"Since recently," they heard Corey answer. "And they can hear you."

"So your dad seems nice," Theo teased.

"I should never have gotten out of bed," Liam said, burying his face in his hands.

"Mm, maybe not, but thanks for getting me out of there." Liam looked at, his expression soft yet unreadable. "And kissing it better."

The werewolf frowned as he blushed. "Yeah. Sure."

"It's actually starting to hurt again," Theo said, smirking devilishly. Liam rolled his eyes but smiled. He steadied himself on his hand, pressing down on the bed next to Theo's thigh. He brought his hand up to cup the chimera's jaw before kissing him, black marks of pain flowing into him at both points of contact. They smiled into each other, the older boy oblivious to the rapid-healing tingling on his hand.

/ | * | * | \

"That looks a lot better," Nolan said when Liam, Theo, and Corey stepped into the hospital cafeteria.

"Yeah, Dr. Geyer is, uh, good with burns," Corey said awkwardly, earning him the stares of each of his friends.

"We need to go back out there," Hayden said, looking at her watch. "If we leave now, we'll still have another hour of light."

"What if it's not there anymore?" Theo posed.

"You just don't wanna' back out there," Hayden countered.

"It breathes fire," Nolan offered. " _I_ don't wanna' back out there."

"You actually did the most damage," Mason stated.

"Okay, focus," Liam said. "We wanna' deal with this thing sooner rather than later. Jeremy, any clue if it's still there?"

Liam's newest friend closed his eyes, breathing in slowly. They watched his focus, hoping that this wouldn't turn into the exhaustive fights they've been through in the all to memorable past. Jeremy's took a second-deep breath and opened his eyes. Before he opened his mouth to answer, the group made their own individual movements in response to seeing his eyes flash green and his nose twitch. "What?"

"N-nothing," Liam tried. "Just, yeah. Anything?"

"He's not there anymore. I'm not really sure where he is. I can sense...I think I got smell of oil. He's back inside the city limits. He seems closer."

"Any other details?" Jeremy shook his head. "Then we split up. Don't engage unless you have to; last time didn't go so well and we were at full strength. Jeremy will come with Theo and me, the rest of you stick together. And be careful." Everyone just stared at him. "What?"

"It's good to see the alpha back," Mason said, smacking his shoulder before heading for the parking lot, Corey and Nolan following.

Hayden, however, stepped in front of him. "Be careful, okay?"

Liam nodded, looking into her eyes. "You too." A small smile appeared on her lips. She reached down and lightly squeezed his hand before trailing after the others. The wary beta turned to the remaining two, catching an unreadable look from Theo before addressing Jeremy. "So, where should we start?"

/ | * | * | \

Theo drove passed the Del Taco they'd been to earlier that week. "No, the cemetary's done, too," Liam said, his phone in his hand.

"We're leaving the warehouse district now," Mason said over the truck's speaker.

"And that's your last one?" Liam asked.

"Yeah, though Nolan thinks we should check out the old zoo or one of the old military bases."

"Jeremy said it's still nearby," Liam affirmed. "Hayden, you didn't pick up its scent anywhere?"

"No. Even in the preserve it was pretty faint."

Theo turned his truck into Jeremy's neighborhood. "Alright. Let's call it a night then. We can pick up the search in the morning."

"Let's at least check out the zoo," the could hear Nolan mutter.

"We'll stick with Jeremy until you're done if you really want to drive out there," Liam offered. "Otherwise I'm just gonna' crash. It's been a long-SHIT!" Theo had slammed on the brakes just at Liam's outburst.

"Liam!?" Hayden cried first.

"What's going on?" Mason followed.

"He's here!" Liam said, dropping the phone and unbuckling before hopping out of the truck, glaring his blue eyes at the creature only 100 yards away.

"Liam, hold on," Theo exclaimed, shutting off his trucks, leaving the lights on. Jeremy stayed put, watching the two young men slowly converge their positions. He looked past them, spotting Shun only barely inside the shine of the headlights. Only now he wasn't looking at Shun, he was looking at himself. Mostly.

"All this time," Liam started. "Those people...his family!" the werewolf roared, pointing back at Jeremy inside the truck. Liam's fangs had distended and his nose was flared; anymore rise in anger and he'd transform.

"They...were the monsters," Shun said, his voice a hoarse echo of Jeremy's. "Yelled at me. Hit me. Threw me off a roof. Cut off my tail."

"But he loved you, didn't he?" Theo said calmly, dropping his removed shirt to the ground. "So why are you doing this to him?"

"Love. Freedom."

"You don't know what those words mean," Theo said, starting at the belt around his shorts. "But you wouldn't. You're just an animal."

Shun's eyes flashed green at him. "Both...monsters."

Liam transformed, the clouds above allowing the moon to be visible. "Only monsters kill people," Liam said through his clenched fangs. "I guess the three of us have that in common!" he yelled, lunging forward. Shun launched a ball of fire at him, the nekomata's range only increased and concentrated from before. Liam was ready, though, dodging to his right. He charged though, hoping to get close. He knew he wouldn't, however, and that was the plan. He'd distract him. Be the bait. While Theo…

The chimera, ripped Shun's throat out with his teeth, the large coyote finding his opening between bursts of fire. The nekomata grabbed at the teared skin, feeling the blood gush as it stumbled back, crumpling to the ground. Theo spit, the chunk of flesh landing a few feet from its host. Jeremy rushed past him, kneeling and grabbing Shun's hand. The creature just looked at his former owner, its eyes trembling. "It's okay. I know."

Theo walked back towards the car, stopping at his clothes and morphing back. He cracked his back and leaned down to grab his underwear; he no sooner reached for his them when he felt a hand on the arch of his back. He turned around to see Liam before him, all human again. Crying. Theo pulled the werewolf into his arms, nuzzling the sides of their heads together, self-conscious of the blood that stained his lips and his tongue. "We got him."


	10. Some Incentive

Liam's eyes remained closed as he felt the wind flow over his face. They weren't going very fast—downtown Beacon Hills was only a 35-mph zone—but the open window allowed him to feel one with nature even if for only a moment. There were so many other distractions: varying brightness from the array of light sources, the sound of rolling cars and the occasional horn, the change of smell in the air from the passing restaurants and city improvements. Of course, the greater distractions came from within: the smell of the chimera next to him and the insurgent thoughts inside his own head. Liam focused on his mantra, finding it his best defense in moments like these. His IED was there, spread throughout his psyche, ready to erupt at any moment of weakness. It was over with the nekomata; An-Mei had been avenged. It was over in reality, in the course of events from point A to point B. But inside Liam's head...the war continued to rage.

"Is it alright if I play some music?" Theo asked, one hand on the steering wheel, the other holding his phone. Liam simply nodded, his eyes remaining shut and his concentration fighting to return to the sensation on his face, to the three truths that kept him in control. "Blurry" by _Puddle of Mudd_ was the first to play over the speakers, by shuffle or intent Liam didn't know. Either way, that was the song he needed in that moment.

_Nolan pulled up behind Theo's truck, the four packmates hurrying out, ready to attack. They found Jeremy sitting next to what looked like his clone, his eyes red from crying. Theo was just getting up from the ground, Liam by his feet._

" _Oh, that's a very naked Theo," Corey said, slower to turn away than the rest._

" _Yes. Yes, it is, Mason affirmed, continuing to stare before Corey smacked his leg._

_The coyote-chimera reached down and grabbed his underwear, hurriedly slipping into them before grabbing his shorts and doing the same. "I'm decent," he grumbled, picking up his tank top and shoes and walking past Nolan and Mason to open the driver's door to his truck._

" _You okay?" Mason said, moving to help him to his feet. The whites of his eyes were red, his cheeks stained with flush and dried tears. He nodded before Mason embraced him._

" _Someone should text Parrish. Liam's phone is dead," Theo said, holding it up._

" _I can do it," Corey offered, digging into his shorts._

" _C'mere," Hayden said, taking Liam into her own arms. She led them over to the curb as Theo cut out his headlights and turned on the emergency flashers; Nolan did the same for his own car. Liam sat slowly, his mind a dull numbing muscle in all but feel. He felt Hayden take his arm, gripping his bicep as she scooted close to him. "What's going through your head?" Liam just shook his head before letting it fall to her shoulder. "I can smell the anxiety and the guilt, but there's something else. I think it's relief. You should focus on that if you can; you've earned it." Liam didn't respond while she paused. "You handled this well. Scott would be proud of you." His heartbeat sped up. "I'm proud of you. And...hey, don't let the guilt win. Stop it. I know you. I know what you're thinking, that you're only catching up. Leveling back to zero. Fixing a disaster you made. But you didn't. That creature over there...it started it. You just...you were in the wrong place at the wrong time. We all were somehow or another. We didn't ask for any of this. You did your best, and damn the supernatural for making you feel otherwise."_

_Liam straightened back up, looking at her curiously. "When did...thanks, Hayden."_

_She let go of his arm and took one of his hands between her own. "I also...I want to apologize." Liam's nose started to numb, knowing where this was leading. "After the Dread Doctors and the Wild Hunt, I didn't really know how to cope. I died, twice in a way. And my sister...I just didn't know what to do. And then when I heard about the hunters, about Brett and Lori, god I'm so sorry I wasn't here, Liam."_

" _It's okay. It's not your fault either. Had you been here, who knows how things would've turned out. You didn't see the deputies that night, or how they all turned on Stilinski. And...and with the war, you...you might not be sitting here now. I'm...I'm glad you were safe."_

_Hayden smiled softly at him, both looking into each other's eyes. "I missed you, you know?" He nodded. But as she moved to lean in, he turned away. "Sorry, I...I just thought…"_

" _I know. I...I can't."_

_She heard his heart speed up suddenly. "Liam?"_

" _I'm...broken right now." She squeezed his hand. "Ever since I...since my eyes changed, I've felt like I've only been a passenger riding around. Touring what my life used to be." He took a deep breath. "And then I...I met someone. Again. For moments out of the day, I felt like me again. Like it was going to be okay, because I wasn't alone in what I was going through. He...made me feel like I wasn't alone."_

_Hayden looked down at the hand between her own, how it was shaking. She looked back up to his face and saw that his lip was quivering, almost in time. She watched him blink and see the tears swell up after impact. She looked out at their friends, finding Mason and Corey examining the nekomata's body, watching Nolan watch Jeremy talk on his phone, spotting Theo leaning against the hood of his truck with his back turned to them, his head a little slunk. "Please don't hate me," Liam said, his throat forcing a slight croak to his voice._

" _It's okay," she said, letting go of his hand in favor of pulling him into a hug. Liam found his chin on her shoulder, angled where he could look out at his pack, at Theo, meeting his eye when the chimera turned his head to look at them. "You're going to be okay, I promise."_

"Liam?" Theo said, breaking the werewolf out of his concentration.

"Hm?" Liam replied, turning to look over at the driver.

"We're here." Liam looked around, the smell suddenly invading his nostrils. They were back at the water treatment plant. And there was his car two spaces down. He stared at it, suddenly not knowing what to do. "I'll see you around?"

"I...yeah." Liam's gaze shifted to Theo, forcing a weak smile at him before making an attempt to get out of the truck. The door swung open and the werewolf got one leg out before stopping. "Can I—"

"I'm not spending another night," the chimera said, hand on his gear shift.

"No, I...will you…" Liam shifted so he could at least look at Theo's form, though not quite meeting his eyes. "Will you let me come inside?" Liam could hear the other smile.

"Close the door." As the door slammed shut, Theo pulled Liam over to him, meshing their lips together with just the right amount of force. Liam breathed out hard as the other boy ran his hand up the side of his jaw, combing through the hair over Liam's ear, falling back down to his neck. The werewolf angled back, forcing their foreheads together as he sucked his own bottom lip between his teeth, seemingly tasting the other. "Yeah, let's go inside," Theo breathed, relishing the feel of their noses brushing before straightening back into his seat and throwing the gear into drive.

/ | * | * | \

The hidden door hadn't even been kicked closed before Theo was on Liam. He smashed their lips together, taking hold of the other's hips to push him up against the foyer table. He arched into the welcoming body to kick the door with his heel, the imbalance leading Liam to pull Theo closer by his lower back. Their tongues familiarized the other's as their lips slotted. Their hands played war of tug and pull. Theo was the first to steal a peek, his eyes cracking only slightly. Everything he saw, every detail in view, it was so limited in scale, but so revealing. He breathed out hard through his nose, a slight grunt accompanying it. Liam broke their tongue-dance to smile, the wetness on his lips starting to cool immediately after release.

"Should we move this to the bed?" Theo asked.

"Yeah," Liam nearly whispered, his eyes still shut tight.

"C'mere," Theo said, grabbing at Liam's thighs just under his ass.

"You're not carrying me," Liam affirmed, finally looking at the chimera.

"Sure," Theo said, pushing against the werewolf so he was pressed to flatten on the surface. He capitalized on Liam's predicament and hauled him up, stealing the boy's lips in the process. Liam relented, wrapping his legs around the other's waist and grabbing hold of his shoulders. They moved slowly around the recreational setup, stopping to make out against the room divider. Liam's hands had moved into Theo's hair, running through the smooth, product-less strands as their noses bumped to attack each other at a different angle. When Theo moved again, Liam broke their lip-lock to mouth at Theo's neck, drawing a gasp from the latter when the werewolf's teeth nipped at his skin.

Theo looked down at Liam's face, the motion urging the werewolf to reconnect their lips. He grabbed at the back of the chimera's neck, forcing them harder together, teeth bumping awkwardly. "You're heavy," Theo said, moving back to kiss him again.

Liam accepted, a second later pausing on his own. "I could've walked," he offered, resuming their kiss.

"I know," Theo said against the other's lips. "I wouldn't have been able to do this, though."

"You bas—"

Liam suddenly dropped, landing on his ass and falling back on the bed. Rather than arguing, he pulled the boy down that was already descending upon him. Their lips did their best to keep up with the exploration that their hands embarked on. Theo's made their way into Liam's hair, while the werewolf couldn't get enough of the muscled back of the boy on top of him.

They would argue about who touched skin first. Liam would claim that the chimera was the first to reach up his shirt, spreading his fingers through his thick stomach trail, leading up into his equally fuzzy chest. Liam had moaned at the rub over his nipple, flattening his palms to pull the taller boy tighter into him. Theo, however, would argue that the werewolf was actually the first to touch skin, reaching up the back of his shirt. Whose skin was hotter was irrelevant, but the touch of the boy's hands made that heat known. Theo had ground his hips down, urging Liam to gasp and look up with wide eyes. It had been the first time he'd ever felt something like that, _down there_ , with someone else's similar parts doing the motion. The realization hit him hard. Heat flushed all over his face as Theo nipped and licked down the side of his neck to his shoulder. _I'm with a guy_.

The chimera could feel him stiffen before his movements froze. He pushed up, his arms straight. He looked into Liam's face, concern his expression. He could smell the trepidation starting the emanate from the younger boy. "Should we stop?" Liam made no attempt to reply, his mind now a haze of emotions. "You're easier to read than you think." He sat back on Liam's thighs, resting his palms just below the other's hips.

"I...sorry…" Theo watched him push up onto his elbows. "I never really stopped to imagine, y'know, this."

"Me, or a guy?"

"Both?" Theo simply smirked. "Have you?"

"With you or a guy?" he said, smiling wider, earning a smile from Liam. "You, not really. Things just happened the last few days and, well, you don't need me to tell you where you are. Or in what position." Liam blushed again, looking down the taut Queen shirt and seeing the thick bulge pushing out towards him beneath the loaner athletic shorts. "I've never really done emotions before," Theo continued, leaning so their faces were close, "so sexuality is a mystery to me." He flashed his teeth in that mischievous smile. "Now, if you're done with your freak out, I'd like to continue." The bridge of Liam's nose seemed to pulse before eyes shined blue, earning an equal yellow reaction from the boy on top of him.

Theo took that as his answer and crushed their lips together once more. Liam pulled them down, grinding up. Theo stifled a groan. He pushed down just as Liam clasped his hands over his ass, pulling. "Off," Theo said, bunching Liam's shirt in his hand. The werewolf rolled them, nipping at Theo's jaw before straightening up. He arched forward, slowly peeling off his shirt. Theo ran his hand up his skin, feeling each hair glide through his touch. "You have no idea," he admitted, his erection pulsing, thrusting up into Liam's bum. Liam threw his shirt towards the door and started at the button of his shorts, gaining a newfound confidence as he smirked down at him. "God…"

"I thought you were an atheist," Liam said, pulling down the front zipper to reveal those Calvin's he'd seen before. Theo opened his mouth to reply when Liam leaned over him and put a finger to his mouth. "Don't ruin it by saying something stupid." The chimera smirked before sucking Liam's finger into his mouth, making the latter shudder. "Oh god…"

Theo laughed. He rolled his tongue over the slim appendage, all the while reaching down and pushing at not just Liam's shorts, but his boxer briefs as well. Liam inadvertently thrust into his groin, making them both moan. Theo reached to the front, slipping under the waistband and taking hold of him. "Fuh—Fuck…" Liam gasped, the heat of the contact making it hard to think. Theo gave him a sensual squeeze before pulling back. He cupped the boy's jaw, kissed him hard, and pushed his shorts and underwear off enough to reveal his most sexual parts. He cupped Liam's cheeks and pulled him close, tasting his lips and tonguing at his teeth. "Hnn…" Liam groaned, his eyes clamping as a dry finger brushed against his hole.

"Yeah," Theo encouraged. He rubbed at it, teasing the puckered rim with his forefinger.

"Hah…" Liam gasped, feeling the flick of a nail. "Too much," he said, grabbing Theo's shoulders and rolling them back over. Theo kneeled back and made work of the straggling clothes on the werewolf's body. "Now you," Liam said, watching him with hungry eyes.

"You never cease to impress me," Theo said before stripping himself of his shirt. Liam's heart skipped a beat as his gaze feasted on that sculpted torso. In one quick motion he shed himself of his black athletic shorts and boxer briefs. Liam barely got a glimpse of the thick erection that snapped up when it, along with the entire length of Theo's naked body, was pressing into his own. They kissed. They nipped. They licked.

They felt.

Their hands couldn't stay off of each other, stop from feeling every muscle. Their breathing got heavier. Their skin got slicker. Theo couldn't help but relish in the sounds Liam was making. Every gasp and whine with every thrust into the younger boy's pelvis. Liam was enthralled with his muscular ass, still overwhelmed by the feel of another erection pushing against him. Raw. He sucked Theo's earlobe between his lips. He took the top of it between his teeth. The chimera shuddered and moaned, gushing pre' against the other boy's skin. Liam used his tongue and Theo bit into the boy's shoulder. Liam squeezed hard on the man's globes, pulling him and thrusting into him.

"I need…" Theo breathed before pulling back quickly. He was out of breath, as was his lover. They looked at each other, Liam trailing from his face to that thick erection. "No," Theo said, "me first." Theo knelt back down and sucked on Liam's left nipple, feeling the thick hair tickle his nose. He grabbed onto the other pec, clasping tightly. Liam moved a hand into his hair, following Theo as he moved down with a trail of kisses. He skipped any teasing foreplay. He took one nuzzle at Liam's belly button before taking the boy into his hand and guiding him into his mouth.

"Ugh...yeah…" Liam moaned.

Theo rolled Liam's dick between his lips, covering most of the boy's flesh in saliva. He controlled his breathing, each deep exhale earning a twitch from the werewolf, each inhale a treat with the allure of his musk. Theo dragged his palm up Liam's torso, grabbing at and kneading his hairy pec.

"Theo, nnngh…"

Theo took him in deep while he moved his hand south again. Past his treasure trail. Past his balls. South. His finger tickled at the hair covering his hole. Theo mouthed at the side of Liam's dick, listening to his attempts to stifle a series of groans before the chimera leaned up to look at him with a smirk. "Has anyone ever played with your ass?" he asked before licking a stripe at his base.

"Y-yeah," Liam breathed. "After a party...this, nngh, this girl came back with me. She...her tongue."

"Like this?" Theo said before pushing up at the underside of Liam's thigh's and pushing his face in. He didn't give Liam a chance to reply. The sensations of the chimera's tongue took over his mind.

"Jesus...fuck!" Liam cried, gripping tight into the sheets. He looked up with bulged eyes at the ceiling, his vision tunneling for a moment. Theo's grip on his legs tightened as he changed from the flat of his tongue to the point. Liam's toes curled as he felt that tongue push, prod, and breach. "Theo-nngh…" Theo let out a hot huff of air through his nose, the feel passing through the nether hairs. "I'm not...not gonna' last."

"Then don't," Theo added before latching his lips around his pucker as he spread Liam wider.

"Shit...hah...ahh...fuck…" Liam brought a hand up around himself and with only two stokes he came. He burst hard, six full pulses shooting down at his face. Theo continued to lap at him until the end. Liam's body felt the entire ordeal, his skin rippling with tiny bumps from calf to neck. Theo finally let him down and crawled back up towards his face. "Your tongue...it's wicked."

"Pointed like a snake," Theo joke. He lent down and tried to kiss him.

"Mm mm," Liam noised, rolling his face away. "I know what I taste like...didn't enjoy that experience."

Theo just laughed. "You really aren't the innocent boy I used to know," he said before getting up and walking into his bathroom. A cap off, a cap off, and a spitting noise all emitted out in sequence. He returned to his open room to find Liam a little pensive. His words suddenly dawned on him. "Hey," he said, attempting to take Liam out of his thoughts. The werewolf looked at him and pushed up on an elbow, a shallow smile on his lips. Theo sat down next to him, running his hand up through Liam's chest hairs. "Sorry. Chalk it up to my casual insensitivity," he said with a light smile.

"I'm okay," Liam assured him. "I'm not gonna' break."

"So, you'll let me fuck you then?" Theo replied, pointing down to his neglected erection.

Something in Liam's chest thudded as he reddened. "I…"

"Relax," the chimera began. "I'm gonna' jerk off. I don't want you having some freak out over how bad you want it."

Liam glared at Theo's asshole-smirk. "Remember how I threatened to punch you in the balls before?"

"Okay...kidding, kidding."

"Uh-huh," Liam said, reaching up and pulling the older boy down by the back of his neck. "Just shut up," he said against his lips before pushing his tongue between the chimera's lips. Theo smiled just before deepening the kiss, Liam moving his hand to the boy's back to pull him closer.

/ | * | * | \

Liam got up from the edge of his bed and walked to his bathroom. He peeked underneath the sink to see if he needed any products. He walked back out. He looked over at his phone. He looked away. He walked over to his yet-to-be-emptied backpack by his bedroom door. He knelt down and unzipped it. He peered inside, instantly deciding not to deal with it. He stood up and looked back at his phone. Liam sat back down on his bed next it. He rubbed his hand through his recently showered hair. He looked back into his bathroom, and then back down at his phone. He reluctantly picked it up finally and opened to the home screen. Liam scrolled through the apps, through the list. He selected the desired contact and brought the device to his ear.

He waited.

He tapped his toe nervously in the air, suspended by the height of his bed. He closed his eyes, listening to the ringer. He takes a deep breath until finally, it clicks.

"Hey, how're you?"

…

"I'm good, yeah. No, no, we got it resolved."

…

"Mhm."

…

"Actually, I'm kinda' tired. It's been a long day. Mind if I fill you in on everything this weekend?"

…

"Cool."

…

"Yeah, so...listen, Scott, I...I have something else to tell you. That y-you should know. Need to know?"

…

"Um, so, Theo and I are dating."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I want to thank everyone for their patience; this has been one of my favorite projects to work on and I can, as modestly as possible, say I’m quite proud of this one. Thank you for your readership and, as always, please comment. And of course, this will continue in a sequel!


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